The lived experience of new graduate nurses successfully completing NCLEX-RN

Background and objective: The NCLEX pass rate is considered the primary indicator of program quality. Much literature exists regarding pre-graduation efforts aimed at aiding students to prepare for the NCLEX-RN exam, while there is little available on post-graduation efforts. This project was conducted to identify the post-graduation experiences of successful NCLEX-RN test takers as they prepared to complete the exam.Methods: This was a qualitative descriptive study utilizing a phenomenological framework to determine the lived experience of new graduates preparing to complete the NCLEX-RN exam.Results: Four main themes were identified as relevant to post graduation experiences including: (a) Finding Motivation, (b) Study Tactics, (c) Taking a Break, and (d) The Testing Experience. Additionally, few of the participants took it for granted that they were going to pass the exam, they reported wishing they had spent more time preparing, and with regard to studying, several described wishing they had started earlier.Conclusions: It will be beneficial for faculty to discuss potential strategies for success to utilize after graduation, including expectations of testing day, setting a realistic timetable to test, overcoming lack of motivation to preparation for the exam, and careful scheduling of coaching and study sessions.

Program Quality and Developmental Outcomes Related to Youth Volleyball in Ethiopia: Assessing Relationships and Variations

This study aims to assess program quality and developmental outcomes of a youth volleyball project in one of the regional states in Ethiopia, and further examine variations between groups across gender and project site zones. We applied a cross-sectional survey design, collecting quantitative data from youth volleyball players (n = 215) with a mean age of 16.18 years (SD = 0.69) through a self-reported questionnaire. The results indicated that young players’ perceptions did not vary significantly across gender, except for the mean score of the perceived experience variable for girls (M = 2.68, SD = 0.318) was significantly higher than the mean score of boys (M = 2.58, SD = 0.258). One-way (project site zone) analyses of variance (ANOVAs) identified that youth volleyball projects in the central zone were consistently rated higher than those in the western zone, except for the current practice rating. Moreover, correlation analysis results indicated the presence of a significant relationship, both within and between program quality and developmental outcome variables. Furthermore, the results of regression analysis indicated that the program quality variables together predicted each of the developmental outcomes, accounting for 18.9% to 31.7% of the variances. It is concluded that the quality of the youth volleyball program in Ethiopia varies considerably across the project site zones and the program quality variables significantly relate to the developmental outcomes measured with differential effects. The data from this study reveals several practical applications for Ethiopia and beyond in terms of guiding youth volleyball projects. Moreover, the findings of the study showed that youth sport and the manner in which it is structured and delivered to youth players influences the attainment of positive developmental outcomes. These results suggest that contextual differences really do have an effect on the quality of youth sport program processes and developmental outcomes.

Concepts and Challenges of Afterschool Program Quality in Japan

This study examines concepts surrounding the quality of afterschool programs in Japan and related challenges using qualitative and quantitative methods. A content analysis of government guidelines for afterschool programs provided by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) is conducted, and the differences in the concepts of afterschool program quality (APQ) between them are explored. Second, using government statistics, the author looks at the current situation and systems of instructional features meant to improve quality. Third, the characteristics of the human resource development system of MEXT and MHLW for APQ are clarified using the social capital theory.

Workforce Compensation Policies for Lead Teachers in State-Funded Preschool

Each state in the US has different compensation parity policies for their early childhood education programs. Currently, public preschool teachers often have similar qualifications to K-3 teachers but earn significantly lower salaries. Compensation parity policies ensure that equivalent work and qualifications are compensated with equivalent pay and benefits. Using data collected by the National Institute of Early Education Research (NIEER), I organized and analyzed policy data from all state-funded preschool programs in the U.S., with a focus on state compensation parity policies for lead preschool teachers. Ultimately, my purpose was to understand state-funded preschool compensation parity for lead teachers in order to identify areas of improvement for the workforce within early education programs. I initially hypothesized that Pre-K programs that required pay parity did not cost states more per child than Pre-K programs that did not require pay parity. Literature from NIEER and other early education research institutions has shown that quality early education programs are critical in a child’s formative years and suggests that a more satisfied workforce yields more positive outcomes for children. Parity policies in state-funded Pre-K programs are not highly correlated to spending per child or program quality. Moreover, parity policies improve workforce well-being and should still be incorporated into state-funded Pre-K. Results show that there are only six programs across four states that require full salary parity for lead preschool teachers and no states require benefit parity for lead preschool teachers in both public and private settings. No clear pattern has emerged between compensation parity policies and state preschool spending or program quality.

From Someone Who May Cause Trouble to Someone You Can Play With: Stakeholders' Perspectives on Preschool Program Quality for Autistic Children

In Sweden, young autistic children typically attend community-based preschool programs, which may not be adapted to their needs. In the current study, stakeholders to autistic children receiving Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention were interviewed following a quasi-randomized study (#NCT03634761) aimed at improving the preschool program quality using the Swedish version of the Autism Program Environment Rating Scale (APERS). Stakeholders provided their perceptions and experiences concerning key factors for high quality preschool programs as well as well as their experiences of the abovementioned APERS study. Applying thematic analysis, stakeholder groups differed in what they emphasized, but all highlighted staff’s competence, children’s inclusion and participation, collaboration, and the learning environment as key program areas that had been positively influenced by the APERS-based intervention.

Linguistically and Culturally Sustaining Mentoring and Instruction (LCSMI) in Teacher Education: Surveys for Teacher Candidates, Mentors, and University Instructors

These surveys were developed from the Key Competencies in Linguistically and Culturally Sustaining Mentoring and Instruction for Clinically-based Grow-Your-Own Teacher Education Programs (Kibler et al., 2021: https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/defaults/j9602713n). They are designed for use in teacher education programs for purposes of assessing program strengths and needs and improving program quality.

The “Haves, Have Some, and Have Nots:” a Latent Profile Analysis of Capacity, Quality, and Implementation in Community-Based Afterschool Programs

Implementation of evidence-based practices is a critical factor in whether afterschool programs are successful in having a positive impact upon risk reduction and positive youth development. However, important prevention research reveals that contextual and organizational factors can affect implementation (Bradshaw & Pas in School Psychology Review, 40, 530–548, 2011) (Flaspohler et al., in American Journal of Community Psychology, 50(3-4), 271-281, 2012) (Gottfredson et al., Prevention Science, 3, 43–56, 2002) (McIntosh et al., Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 18(4), 209-218, 2016) (Payne in Prevention Science, 10, 151–167, 2009). Using a latent profile approach (LPA), this paper examines multiple organizational and neighborhood contextual factors that might affect the degree to which afterschool programs effectively implement evidence-based practices in the context of a cluster-randomized trial of the Paxis Good Behavior Game (PaxGBG). The Interactive Systems Framework (ISF) explores dimensions of capacity that might matter for prevention efforts. As expected, we found that well-resourced and high-quality programs performed well in terms of implementation (the Haves) and, in neighborhood contexts rich in racial-ethnic diversity. Yet, we found that some programs with less physical and material capacity (the Have Nots), demonstrated greater program quality (i.e., supportive adult and peer relationships, engagement, a sense of belonging) and implementation, relative to programs with better capacity (e.g., space, material resources, staffing, and leadership, the Have Somes). While capacity matters, intentional prevention initiatives that seek to promote evidence-based practices are helpful to sites in supporting organizations that might otherwise fail to provide quality programming for youth. This paper addresses a conundrum in prevention science, namely, how to make programming accessible to those who need it with a focus on organizational processes, program quality, and implementation of evidence-based practices.

Possibilities for automated programming style assessment in informatics olympiads

Programming Style is an important part of program quality and it should be taken into account while assessing programs designedby competitors in informatics. In InternationalOlympiad in Informatics grading is automated and based on testing results only, while programming style is not taken into account. However there exists practice in universities in programming courses where programming style of submitted programs is evaluated automatically. The paper reviews existing experience and discusses possibilities for automated grading of programming style in informatics olympiads.