Lead contamination of public drinking water and academic achievements among children in Massachusetts: a panel study

Background Public drinking water can be an important source exposure to lead, which can affect children’s cognitive development and academic performance. Few studies have looked at the impact of lead exposures from community water supplies or their impact on school achievements. We examined the association between annual community water lead levels (WLLs) and children’s academic performances at the school district level. Methods We matched the 90th percentile WLLs with the grade 3–8 standardized test scores from the Stanford Education Data Archive on Geographic School Districts by geographic location and year. We used multivariate linear regression and adjusted for urbanicity, race, socioeconomic characteristics, school district, grade, and year. We also explored potential effect measure modifications and lag effects. Results After adjusting for potential confounders, a 5 μg/L increase in 90th percentile WLLs in a GSD was associated with a 0.00684 [0.00021, 0.01348] standard deviation decrease in the average math test score in the same year. No association was found for English Language Arts. Conclusions We found an association between the annual fluctuation of WLLs and math test scores in Massachusetts school districts, after adjusting for confounding by urbanicity, race, socioeconomic factors, school district, grade, and year. The implications of a detectable effect of WLLs on academic performance even at the modest levels evident in MA are significant and timely. Persistent efforts should be made to further reduce lead in drinking water.

Prevalence of risk behaviors and correlates of SARS-CoV-2 positivity among in-school contacts of confirmed cases in a Georgia school district in the pre-vaccine era, December 2020–January 2021

Background There is a continuing risk for COVID-19 transmission in school settings while transmission is ongoing in the community, particularly among unvaccinated populations. To ensure that schools continue to operate safely and to inform implementation of prevention strategies, it is imperative to gain better understanding of the risk behaviors of staff and students. This secondary analysis describes the prevalence of COVID-19 risk behaviors in an exposed population of students and school staff in the pre-vaccine era and identifies associations between these behaviors and testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. Methods From December 2020–January 2021, school staff and students exposed to confirmed COVID-19 cases in a Georgia school district were tested for SARS-CoV-2 and surveyed regarding risk behaviors in and out of school. Prevalence of risk behaviors was described by age group and school level, and associations with SARS-CoV-2 positivity were identified using chi squared tests. Results Overall, 717 students and 79 school staff participated in the investigation; SARS-CoV-2 positivity was 9.2%. In the 2 weeks prior to COVID-19 exposure, 24% of participants reported unmasked indoor time at school, 40% attended social gatherings with non-household members, and 71% visited out-of-school indoor locations, including 19% who ate indoors in restaurants. Frequencies of risk behaviors increased by age. Among students, 17% participated in school sports, of whom 86% participated without a mask. SARS-CoV-2 positivity was significantly associated with school sports and unmasked time in sports. Among K-5 students, positivity was associated with exposure to a teacher index case. Conclusions This analysis highlights the high prevalence of risk behaviors in an unvaccinated population exposed to COVID-19 in school and identifies an association between student sports participation and SARS-CoV-2 positivity. These findings illustrate the importance of school-level prevention measures to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission, including limiting close-contact indoor sports and promoting consistent mask use in unvaccinated individuals. Future research could explore the role of community vaccination programs as a strategy to reduce COVID-19 transmission and introductions into school settings.

The Need for Multidimensional and Longitudinal Teacher Training

This chapter focuses on the need for multidimensional and longitudinal teacher preparation that begins in the educator preparation program (EPP) and continues into and throughout the school district level for all teachers. Discussion of topics that are foundational for teachers include continuous improvement, assessment, use of evidence-based and high leverage practices, collaboration, feedback, and self-reflection. Additionally, specific strategies and resources that can support teachers in planning for the academic and social-emotional needs and success of students will also be shared.

Exposing Mental Models to Accelerate Distance Learning Environments

This chapter forms one part in a series of chapters offering recommendations to design effective distance and blended learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unintended catalyst for change in schools. Due to the closing of school buildings in the spring of 2020, school districts were forced to quickly transition to distance learning or blended learning. Even before COVID-19, many districts failed to successfully and systematically implement the new knowledge and skills acquired in these sessions. So, the question is, why has blended and distance learning practices continued to function in pockets throughout a school district and not systematically throughout the school organization? One can argue that full implementation was impeded by the lack of budgetary resources and infrastructure or unaligned curriculum, instruction, and assessments.

Who Leads Turnaround Schools? Characteristics of Principals in Tennessee's Achievement School District and Innovation Zones

Purpose: While previous research has examined the impact of school turnaround models, less is known about the principals who lead these turnaround schools. This study examines the personal demographics, experience, educational background, prior school performance, salaries, and turnover of principals who led two turnaround models in Tennessee's lowest performing schools: a state-run Achievement School District (ASD) that has not yielded positive nor negative effects and local Innovation Zones (iZones) that averaged positive effects on student achievement over six years. Methods: We analyze longitudinal, administrative data from the Tennessee Department of Education from 2006–2007 to 2017–2018 to compare pre- and post-reform means and trends in principal characteristics between ASD, iZone, and similarly low-performing comparison schools. Results: ASD schools had higher principal turnover rates and lost principals whose schools performed higher while iZone schools retained more principals and lost principals whose schools performed lower. Moreover, iZone schools employed more experienced principals, more Black principals, and principals with higher graduate degree attainment and paid their principals more than ASD schools. Salary differences between ASD and iZone schools were not explained by principals’ characteristics, such as years of experience. Implications: Our findings reveal differences in leadership characteristics between iZone and ASD schools that were consistent with differences in the effectiveness of the two turnaround approaches.

The practice of holding people’s readings by Orthodox fraternities of the Volyn and Kyiv province (second half of the XIX century)

The purpose of the article is to analyze the specifics of the organization and conduct of religious and moral readings and talks by Orthodox church fraternities in the Volyn and Kyiv provinces. It was found that all the work on the organization of readings was governed by the «Rules for holding public readings in provincial cities». This document clearly set out the requirements that had to be met by individuals or companies that organized the reading. The Ministry of education has established a list of certain periodicals that could be used during these events. Public readings were allowed after obtaining permission from the trustee of the school district and by prior arrangement with the local governor. Separately, the article reveals the main aspects of the work of orthodox fraternities in the organization and conduct of out-of-service public readings. The example of individual church fraternities shows the peculiarities of their approach to the planning, organization and organization of religious talks, the results of the work are clarified. It was found that representatives of church fraternities formed a list of identified and agreed topics of public lectures, used visual aids and illustrative material to better remember what they heard. It was noted that the reports mainly covered the principles of orthodox doctrine: religious and moral readings were held for educational purposes, to raise the education of the local population, as well as to promote and promote the ideas of orthodoxy. It was determined that the agitation aspect was followed in the practice of holding public readings, as members of the fraternities sought to warn the local orthodox population against catholic influence. It was also planned to carry out explanatory work against the spread of certain protestant movements .

Learning to Improve Program Systems While Navigating Program and Institutional Constraints

Many youth worker professional development (PD) efforts tend to focus on individualized skill development, rather than learning as a contextualized phenomenon that impacts youth workers’ everyday experiences in the field. Youth worker learning is fundamentally embedded in a broader ecosystem of programs, institutions, and systems that influence how they make sense of and implement their learnings. Examining institutionalized experiences and how they shape youth workers’ response to PD requires attention to the larger ecology of the contexts in which they work. In this paper, I analyze a PD initiative facilitated by a school district in the Rocky Mountain West. Data collected during the PD show that participating youth workers made changes to their program systems. At the same time, participants reported a range of institutional constraints that did not cohere with the PD. I bridge sensemaking theory to research on youth worker self-efficacy to unpack youth workers’ reaction to and implementation of the PD, and I discuss implications for youth worker PD. I propose that PD efforts could more closely attend to youth workers’ institutional contexts.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Applying Bioecological Theory to School Relationships and Grandparent Needs

This paper examines the development, sustainability and importance of positive working relationships between grandparents raising grandchildren (“grandparents”) and school district staff through the application of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of human development. Grandparents have unique needs and often lack adequate resources, knowledge, and support when engaging in their new and often sudden role as primary caregiver of a grandchild. Access to educational resources, adequate information, and school district support is critical as a grandchild transitions into their grandparent’s home. This inquiry aims to develop a conceptual framework for understanding how forming and maintaining positive working relationships between grandparents and school district staff will systematically and adequately address the educational needs of grandparents and their grandchild’s academic success. Tenets of the bioecological model include the application of proximal processes that outline the need for frequent and regular interactions between a person and their environment over extended periods of time. The purpose of this study is to develop positive pathways of support through the application of the interconnected elements of proximal processes of the bioecological theory including process, person, context, and time, and the five bioecological interactive (micro-, meso-, exo-, macro-, chrono-) systems of human development. More specifically, educational needs of grandparents as caregivers are addressed through tenets of the bioecological theory to inform school districts and encourage the development of positive working relationships and effective education navigation protocols to better serve this unique and growing population.