Prevalence and associated risk factors of iron deficiency without anemia among school adolescents in Mbouda, Western Cameroon

Background: Adolescents are a particularly vulnerable age group to iron deficiency without anemia (IDWA). This study aimed at determining the prevalence and associated risks factors of IDWA among apparently healthy school teenagers in Mbouda, West-Cameroon.Methods: The 778 blood samples were randomly collected from adolescents aged 10-19 years of four schools in Mbouda. Appropriate indicators including haemoglobin and haematocrit, serum iron, ferritin, transferrin, and total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation were determined using standard methods.Results: The overall prevalence of IDWA was 40.4%. High significant difference in the mean values of serum iron (p≤0.001), serum ferritin (p≤0.001), TIBC (p=0.007), CST (p≤0.001) were observed in participants with IDWA compared to those without IDWA. The sociodemographic risk factors of IDWA in school adolescents were school site (p=0.022; 0.14 (0.90-1.43) and period of menstruation (p=0.015; 1.48 (1.083-2.03). Consumption of roots-tubers [OR: 0.92 (0.48-1.77)] legumes [OR: 2.65 (1.91-3.67)], cereals [OR: 0.90 (0.67-1.22)], increased the risk of IDWA while consumption of vegetables [OR: 0.29 (0.22-0.39)], eggs [OR: 0.66 (0.49-0.90)], and fish-shrimp [OR: 0.172 (0.10-0.295)] decreased the risk of IDWA. Meal consumption frequency had a statistically significant association with IDWA (p≤0.001).Conclusions: This study identified that IDWA was a major public health in adolescents. This study will help in planning and implementation of the policy for prevention of IDWA in adolescents.

The Movement Expands

Chapter 8 examines the expansion of the movement to new issues and newly forceful constituents. It charts the rise of the police-free schools movement and discusses the influence of the Movement for Black Lives. It documents the assertion of voice and leadership by Black girls; girls of color; and gender nonconforming students in the movement, highlighting the intersectional ways that they experience the school-to-prison pipeline. Finally, it examines the role of teachers as allies to the movement and highlights efforts to implement restorative justice as an alternative to zero tolerance. It emphasizes the need to connect restorative justice to school-site organizing that connects teachers with students and parents in ways that transform relationships and create liberatory education.

Decentralized Centralism: School Based Management Policies and Practices at State Secondary Schools in Mataram, Lombok, Indonesia

<p>The collapse of Suharto’s regime in 1998 brought significant change to Indonesia's public sector. Education at primary and secondary levels, since 1 January 2001, was administered at district level rather than in the previously centralised and bureaucratic manner. At the school level, ideas about school autonomy emerged and became popular. In particular the term ‘School Based Management’ (SBM) was seen as a panacea, and as a result the central government issued a regulation to implement the practice of SBM. This study analyses the dynamics of the SBM policy as it was being interpreted and implemented at the secondary school level in Indonesia. It examines SBM in the municipality of Mataram, Lombok, Indonesia. The study was approached in two ways: through document analysis of the Ministry of National Education decree number 044/U/2002 which legalized SBM; and by soliciting and interpreting the perspectives and practices of stakeholders at district and school levels through questionnaires, interviews, school site studies and document analyses. Altogether 83 respondents completed the questionnaires and 24 participated in interviews. Site studies were made to two schools. These approaches produced rich data on issues relating to SBM policy, devolved authority and community involvement. The study found that the SBM policy as stated in the decree lacked clarity. The decree was hastily introduced and emphasised structural changes at district and school levels without clarifying its underlying rationales or implementation guidelines. The decree did not choose a particular model of SBM. Instead, it imposed a uniform model regardless of school level, size, location, type of community or even the public and private nature of schools. The decree was not followed with any regulations established at the district level regarding SBM. Consequently, institutional capacity at the district level was not developed. Therefore previous paradigm and practices of management continued to remain. Information provided about SBM at the school level was not designed to give much detail. It was left to principals to inform school level stakeholders but the extent to which this happened depended on the principals’ discretion and level of knowledge about SBM. The devolved authority was not clear in the decree. What was suggested in the decree as authority that can be exercised by schools in SBM, was a practice that was already established. Without appropriate regulations at the district level, secondary schools were neither supported nor given flexibility. Mostly, schools practices had not changed with the introduction of the SBM. The decree did not differentiate between community involvements at the district from the school level. This made it possible for old practices to continue. Hence, Education Council and the School Committees’ members were hand-picked and shoulder-tapped, based on bureaucrat preferences. Further, at school level, the committees’ roles were mainly to legitimize principals’ policies, particularly relating to school fees and budget. In short, a ‘new centralism’ was seen to be practised by the district government. At the school level the principal’s role become much more significant. School Based Management, while fulfilling the regulatory requirements, remains superficial in its impact and has failed to fulfil its original intention of improving the quality of Indonesian education. The study proposes a number of recommendations for SBM at the Indonesian secondary school level. First, the changing nature of regional autonomy in Indonesia makes stipulating a new regulation for SBM at district level sensible. The local regulation should use clear statements, acknowledge diversity, differentiate between governance and management, and recognize community involvement. Second, improving institutional capacity at district and school levels is also necessary and urgent. Enhancing stakeholders’ understanding about SBM issues can take various forms. Third, establishing formula funding that is stipulated in the district budget will make previous practices by the school committee unnecessary. Finally, on-going support to schools in terms of SBM, from district and national government is needed and should be programmed to make the policy work and succeed. The study ends with suggestion for further research.</p>

Decentralized Centralism: School Based Management Policies and Practices at State Secondary Schools in Mataram, Lombok, Indonesia

<p>The collapse of Suharto’s regime in 1998 brought significant change to Indonesia's public sector. Education at primary and secondary levels, since 1 January 2001, was administered at district level rather than in the previously centralised and bureaucratic manner. At the school level, ideas about school autonomy emerged and became popular. In particular the term ‘School Based Management’ (SBM) was seen as a panacea, and as a result the central government issued a regulation to implement the practice of SBM. This study analyses the dynamics of the SBM policy as it was being interpreted and implemented at the secondary school level in Indonesia. It examines SBM in the municipality of Mataram, Lombok, Indonesia. The study was approached in two ways: through document analysis of the Ministry of National Education decree number 044/U/2002 which legalized SBM; and by soliciting and interpreting the perspectives and practices of stakeholders at district and school levels through questionnaires, interviews, school site studies and document analyses. Altogether 83 respondents completed the questionnaires and 24 participated in interviews. Site studies were made to two schools. These approaches produced rich data on issues relating to SBM policy, devolved authority and community involvement. The study found that the SBM policy as stated in the decree lacked clarity. The decree was hastily introduced and emphasised structural changes at district and school levels without clarifying its underlying rationales or implementation guidelines. The decree did not choose a particular model of SBM. Instead, it imposed a uniform model regardless of school level, size, location, type of community or even the public and private nature of schools. The decree was not followed with any regulations established at the district level regarding SBM. Consequently, institutional capacity at the district level was not developed. Therefore previous paradigm and practices of management continued to remain. Information provided about SBM at the school level was not designed to give much detail. It was left to principals to inform school level stakeholders but the extent to which this happened depended on the principals’ discretion and level of knowledge about SBM. The devolved authority was not clear in the decree. What was suggested in the decree as authority that can be exercised by schools in SBM, was a practice that was already established. Without appropriate regulations at the district level, secondary schools were neither supported nor given flexibility. Mostly, schools practices had not changed with the introduction of the SBM. The decree did not differentiate between community involvements at the district from the school level. This made it possible for old practices to continue. Hence, Education Council and the School Committees’ members were hand-picked and shoulder-tapped, based on bureaucrat preferences. Further, at school level, the committees’ roles were mainly to legitimize principals’ policies, particularly relating to school fees and budget. In short, a ‘new centralism’ was seen to be practised by the district government. At the school level the principal’s role become much more significant. School Based Management, while fulfilling the regulatory requirements, remains superficial in its impact and has failed to fulfil its original intention of improving the quality of Indonesian education. The study proposes a number of recommendations for SBM at the Indonesian secondary school level. First, the changing nature of regional autonomy in Indonesia makes stipulating a new regulation for SBM at district level sensible. The local regulation should use clear statements, acknowledge diversity, differentiate between governance and management, and recognize community involvement. Second, improving institutional capacity at district and school levels is also necessary and urgent. Enhancing stakeholders’ understanding about SBM issues can take various forms. Third, establishing formula funding that is stipulated in the district budget will make previous practices by the school committee unnecessary. Finally, on-going support to schools in terms of SBM, from district and national government is needed and should be programmed to make the policy work and succeed. The study ends with suggestion for further research.</p>

Identifying Implementation Drivers for Teen Sexual Health Education Curricula

This article focuses on examining the implementation of evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programming in a select school district. Results are presented based on the following implementation drivers: (1) actions taken by leadership to make decisions, provide guidance, and support how the school site and community-based organizations are functioning in support of implementation; (2) actions taken to ensure competent staff delivery of the curricula; and (3) actions taken to create and sustain a hospitable context in order to implement the interventions at the school site. The need for adolescent sexual health education is evident in this geographic location where Hispanic or Latino teens consistently have higher birth rates among race and ethnicities that are routinely reported. For 2018, when this project started, those rates were 40 births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 years. For 2018, the birth rates for African Americans was 31 and for Whites was 17 per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 years. The project goals were to reduce teen birth rates by (1) providing evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention curricula to youth aged 11 to 19 years over the course of the 5-year project period, (2) training school staff and community members in the curricula, and (3) generating community support of youth access to reproductive health care and education. Despite a funding interruption to implementation of the project and the impact of COVD-19, educational programming was provided to 9,616 youth. The article details the key implementation strategies and solutions so that other practitioners can consider application of these implementation drivers in their own adolescent health education programming.

Youth Court: A Restorative Practice? A Case to Consider

The current case demonstrates the complexities of utilizing Youth Court as a restorative practice in an urban high school, by focusing on the complexities it presents for one student in particular. In this case, there are reasons why Youth Court clearly is not working at this particular school site as intended. However, more importantly for leadership preparation, the case surfaces dilemmas of cultural difference, teacher preparation, leadership preparation, and school policy that leaders must address prior to restorative implementation in order to ensure sustainable restorative practice moving forward.

“It Doesn’t Matter Who Sees Them”: A Case Study of an Effective White Educator Working in a Multicultural Urban High School

This instrumental case study research identifies the beliefs and behaviors of a highly effective white educator working in a multicultural urban school. By triangulating interviews, classroom observations and the analysis of artifacts provided by the teacher, this study identifies the essential beliefs and behaviors that make a white educator a highly effective practitioner and highly respected educator both within his school site and in the broader school community. The case study identifies that the educator’s ability to create safety, inclusion, consistency, and high expectations in his classroom functioned to connect him to a population of students who do not share his same racial or economic markers. The purpose of this case study is to identify the essential beliefs and behaviors of a white educator working in a multicultural urban high school in order to use his experience and practice as a way to educate and inform white educators seeking to work in diverse schools across the nation.

Factors Motivating Virtual Lab Simulations Adoption in Secondary School Physics Instruction in Jordan

The study investigated the factors that motivate secondary school physics instructors to use virtual lab simulations in teaching and learning in four regions of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. To examine the research question, the study utilized a quantitative survey research methodology using a survey questionnaire consisting of 25 Likert-type scale questions to measure physics instructors' attitudes toward using virtual lab simulations in practical investigations’ preparation and delivery. Contrary to what might be expected, the findings came across a number of variables that were not predictors of statistical significance for a physics instructor's virtual lab simulation adoption: gender; level of education; school site; average class size; ways of acquiring technology skills, for instance, self-taught and computer courses; and perceived barriers. The findings support the prediction that the lack of virtual lab simulations in the Jordanian high-school physics curriculum has an impact on Tawjihi students' achievement in physics. Keywords: Simulation, Virtual lab, Roger’s diffusion of innovations theory.

“Finding the Other Half of Me”: Culture-Based Approaches to Music Education in Hawaiʻi

The purpose of this study was to examine how Hawaiian music teachers describe their uses of Hawaiian culture–based educational approaches in the music classroom. The theoretical lens of culture-based education framed the study in that it emphasizes increased attention to questions of cultural restoration within Indigenous communities. A collective descriptive case-study design was used to illuminate the complexities and particularities of the phenomenon of Hawaiian culture–based education utilized by four participant music teachers in their own particular contexts. Data collection included three interviews with each teacher participant, a student focus group interview at each school site, and field notes taken from in-person observations of each music classroom. Analysis revealed four themes central to the participants’ experiences, including teachers’ diverse approaches to culture-based education, their sources of cultural understanding, how they addressed or navigated challenges, and the multiple layers of meaning that they and their students derived from these culture-based approaches. Particularly compelling were findings related to each teacher’s identity and relationship to Hawaiian culture, complicated issues of authenticity related to performing and teaching Hawaiian music, and the centrality of positive relationships to culture-based approaches.

A Survey of Educators Serving Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders During the Covid-19 Pandemic

In this descriptive study, we analyzed survey data regarding communication, instruction, and assessment strategies school personnel in K-12 settings reported using during the COVID-19 pandemic for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Results indicate, whether instructional continuity was mandated or not, support personnel serving students with EBD reported using a variety of communication, instruction, and assessment strategies. Several strategies special educators reported using were significantly different than those provided by related service providers (e.g., school psychologist, counselor) during school site closures. Implications for future planning, policy, and research are discussed.