scholarly journals Implementing RTI in Two Rural Elementary Schools: Encouraging Beginnings and Challenges for the Future

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gretchen G. Robinson ◽  
William D. Bursuck ◽  
Kristin D. Sinclair
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Rural Schools ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Step Process ◽  
Rural Elementary Schools ◽  
Implementation Themes

Response to Intervention (RTI) models are currently being implemented in many school districts nationwide. However, at a time when interest in RTI is high, the extent to which it is being implemented effectively in rural schools is largely unknown. Teachers and administrators in two rural elementary schools in the Southeastern United States who were part of a state-wide RTI pilot project participated in this study. Interviews were conducted along with field observations of classroom instruction and team problem-solving meetings. Using a multi-step process for data analysis, various implementation themes emerged related to tiered instruction, data-based decision making, support for model implementation, and collaboration. Findings in these areas support issues raised in the literature regarding factors in rural schools that may impede or enhance fidelity of model implementation. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.  

Experiences of Stereotyping and Tracking in Appalachia: A Case in Consolidation and Social Class

2021 ◽  
pp. 155545892098233
Author(s):  
Connor J. Fewell ◽  
Michael E. Hess ◽  
Charles Lowery ◽  
Madeleine Gervason ◽  
Sarah Ahrendt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Social Class ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Social Classes ◽  
School Level ◽  
Diverse Backgrounds ◽  
First Time

This case explores the complexities of how consolidation perpetuates stereotypes among different social classes in a rural Appalachian school setting. Examined are the experiences at the intersection of social class in rural U.S. school districts when two communities—one affluent and one underresourced—are consolidated. We present a nuanced critical incident that focuses on how school leaders perceive and address students’ experiences with tracking and stereotyping—particularly at a middle school level where elementary schools from diverse backgrounds attend school together for the first time.

Sustainability Certification and Green Public Procurement: Ideals and Outcomes in a New Jersey School District

2021 ◽  
pp. 097340822110125
Author(s):  
Cluny Mendez ◽  
Christopher L. Atkinson
Keyword(s):  
New Jersey ◽  
School District ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Green Public Procurement ◽  
The Subject

The implementation of sustainability and green public procurement (GPP) initiatives in school districts has been the subject of some debate; questions over definitions and programme goals have led to inconsistency and concerns about programme achievements. The legitimacy of programmes rests not only with the announcement of policy by officials, but with adherence to policy and staff buy-in. This study examines barriers districts face, and makes recommendations based upon district experience on ways to successfully implement sustainability and GPP initiatives. A review of the literature on GPP and legitimacy in the execution of public functions within the education domain begins the study. Major components relative to best practices for GPP programmes are studied through the review of GPP-related documents from a school district in New Jersey considered as an exemplar of such programmes. Analysis of an interview with the district’s representatives suggests that, despite the normative approval such programmes receive, and widespread understanding of the rationale for pursuing such initiatives, there remain critical failings in implementation of these programmes, stemming from education, resourcing of initiatives and prioritization of green procurement in relation to other district priorities. The study concludes with lessons learned from this case, which is important given its positioning within New Jersey as an exemplar and recommendations for future research where work in this area is needed.

Assessing the Psychosocial Elements of Crowds at Mass Gatherings

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 414-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Hutton ◽  
Kathryn Zeitz ◽  
Steve Brown ◽  
Paul Arbon
Keyword(s):  
Health And Safety ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mass Gathering ◽  
Crowd Behavior ◽  
Descriptive Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Mass Gatherings ◽  
Psychosocial Domain

AbstractIntroduction: The environmental aspects of mass gatherings that can affect the health and safety of the crowd have been well described. Although it has been recognized that the nature of the crowd will directly impact the health and safety of the crowd, the majority of research focuses on crowd behavior in a negative context such as violence or conflict. Within the mass gathering literature, there is no agreement on what crowd behavior, crowd mood and crowd type actually mean. At the same time, these elements have a number of applications, including event management and mass gathering medicine. These questions are worthy of exploration.Methods: This paper will report on a pilot project undertaken to evaluate how effective current crowd assessment tools are in understanding the psychosocial domain of a mass gathering event.Results: The pilot project highlighted the need for a more consistent descriptive data set that focuses on crowd behavior.Conclusions: The descriptive data collected in this study provide a beginning insight into the science of understanding crowds at a mass gathering event. This pilot has commenced a process of quantifying the psychosocial nature of an event. To maximize the value of this work, future research is required to understand the interplay among the three domains of mass gatherings (physical, environmental and psychological), along with the effects of each element within the domains on safety and health outcomes for participants at mass gatherings.

scholarly journals Early indications of drought impacts on forests in the southeastern United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 91 (04) ◽  
pp. 376-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael K. Crosby ◽  
Zhaofei Fan ◽  
Martin A. Spetich ◽  
Theodor D. Leininger ◽  
Xingang Fan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Classification And Regression Tree ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Red Oak ◽  
White Oak ◽  
Cart Analysis ◽  
Crown Dieback

In the southeastern United States, drought can pose a significant threat to forests by reducing the amount of available water, thereby stressing trees. Destructive changes in crown conditions provide the first visible indication of a problem in a forested area, making it a useful indicator for problems within an ecosystem. Forest Health and Monitoring (FHM) and Palmer's Drought Severity Index (PDSI) data from 11 states in the southeastern United States were obtained in an effort to determine the role that drought, forest type, and ecoregion have in indicating differences in crown dieback. Analyses were conducted by species groups using classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. The greatest amount of total relative crown dieback occurred in red oak (18%), followed by other hardwoods (14%), and white oak (11%). Relative crown dieback varied by forest type and ecoregion with a relationship to drought in both red oak and white oak. This information will be useful for focusing future research and modeling efforts to predict forest health conditions affected by changing climate variables.

scholarly journals Playing by different rules: indicators of happiness on playgrounds

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Rowland
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Outdoor Play ◽  
Social Health ◽  
Community Interest ◽  
Significant Relationships ◽  
Public Elementary Schools ◽  
Using Data

As our cities continue to urbanize, opportunities for children’s unstructured outdoor play are declining. Play is a right to children, and holds a critical role in children’s lives. Creating opportunities for play during school hours produces significant physical and social health benefits. OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) is a registered community interest program originating in England transforming attitudes to play supervision, environment and provision within schools. In Toronto, Canada an OPAL pilot project is being implemented at six public elementary schools. Using data from this pilot, this study examines how differences in happiness while playing at schools vary across play conditions and duration. The study explores baseline data collected in Spring 2016 among 352 of 9-12-year-old children, attending grades 4 to 6. Binomial logistic regression was performed for recess and lunch play showing the correlation between happiness and play duration. There are statistically significant relationships between happiness and play conditions. Key words: outdoor play, unstructured, happiness, children, Toronto

Profiles of Problem Behavior in Children With Varying Language Ability

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason C. Chow ◽  
Joseph H. Wehby
Keyword(s):  
School Districts ◽  
Problem Behavior ◽  
Direct Observation ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Classroom Behavior ◽  
Language Ability ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Classroom Behaviors ◽  
Language Behavior ◽  
Behavior Profile

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between language behavior in students with or at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders. School-age students in K-4 grades ( N = 300, 76% male) were sampled across three school districts. Students were grouped based on oral language ability and measured on teacher-rated subscales of problem behavior and direct observation of classroom behavior. Profile analyses revealed that language ability was associated with direct observation measures of classroom behaviors. Lower language was associated with higher rates of aggression, and higher language was associated with higher rates of academic engagement. Incongruent results relative to teacher-rated and directly observed behavior, limitations, and implications for future research are discussed.

Vision Screening in Central Iowa

2001 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 239-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeri K. Gustafson ◽  
Marilyn J. Kinne ◽  
Donita G. Little ◽  
MaryAnn T. Strawhacker
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Screening Program ◽  
Vision Screening ◽  
Screening Practices ◽  
Education Agency ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Screening Procedures ◽  
Visual History

This study assessed the vision-screening practices of all preschools and elementary schools during the spring of 2000 in the Heartland Area Education Agency (AEA) in central Iowa. Surveys were returned by 7% of the preschools and 56% of the elementary schools. Survey questions were drafted based on recommendations from the Iowa Vision Screening Program Guidelines, which were distributed to all Iowa school districts in 1997. Areas surveyed included vision-screening personnel, attainment of students’ visual history, rescreening practices, referral and follow-up, and screening procedures. Survey results indicated that there is a need for improvement to standardize vision-screening procedures within Heartland AEA. Time and effort are invested in activities that are not recommended, and not enough effort is being put into recommended activities such as obtaining vision histories, rescreening to avoid overreferrals, and follow-up to make sure students receive required treatment.

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