Case Study Analysis of an Adaptive Academic School Service Delivery Model With Multiple Disabilities/Handicapped Students

This chapter focuses on multiple disability (MD) or multiple handicapped (MH) students. Being considered equal to their grade- and age-level peers is essential for MD/MH students. Thus, in this chapter, use of the adaptive academic service delivery model with MD/MH students is examined through a case study within a junior and high school setting. This chapter includes a discussion about the causes and characteristics, the educational placement and instructional strategies, and the eligibility criteria for students with multiple disabilities or multiple handicaps. The chapter concludes with a discussion about future trends for MD/MH students and service providers.

Feasibility of a serious game coupled with a contact-based session led by lived experience workers for depression prevention in high-school students

Background Stigma and limited mental health literacy impede adolescents getting the help they need for depressive symptoms. A serious game coupled with a classroom session led by lived experience workers (LEWs) might help to overcome these barriers. The school-based Strong Teens and Resilient Minds (STORM) preventive program employed this strategy and offered a serious game, Moving Stories. The current study was carried out to assess inhibiting and promoting factors for scaling up Moving Stories once its effectiveness has been ascertained. Methods Moving Stories was offered in three steps: (1) introductory classroom session, (2) students playing the game for five days, (3) debriefing classroom session led by lived experience worker. Data was collected on the number of participating students, costs of offering Moving Stories, and was further based on the notes of the debriefing sessions to check if mental health first aid (MHFA) strategies were addressed. Results Moving Stories was offered in seven high-schools. Coverage was moderate with 982 participating students out of 1880 (52%). Most participating students (83%) played the Moving Stories app three out of the five days. Qualitative data showed that the MHFAs were discussed in all debriefing sessions. Students showed great interest in lived experience workers’ stories and shared their own experiences with depression. Conclusions Bringing Moving Stories to scale in the high-school setting appears feasible, but will remain logistically somewhat challenging. Future implementation and scale-up of Moving Stories could benefit from improved selection and training of LEWs that played such an important role in grabbing the full attention of students and were able to launch frank discussions about depressive disorder and stigma in classrooms. Trial registration The study is registered in the Dutch Trial Register: Trial NL6444 (NTR6622: https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6444).

Strength and Conditioning Facilities in Texas High Schools: A Quantitative Analysis

The health and athletic performance benefits of strength training for adolescents have increased the demand for the development and use of strength and conditioning facilities (SCFs) within the high school setting. Despite the growing prevalence of these facilities, research on high school SCFs is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the space, equipment, usage, and staffing patterns of SCFs in the state of Texas. This examination provided descriptive data on SCFs’ space, equipment, usage, and staffing patterns based upon the state athletic governing body’s six-tier classification level. Significant differences in SCFs’ size and available equipment were determined; as well, facility usage for athletics (99.2%), physical education (24.5%), and community (30.6%) was determined. These results are indicative of the need for additional research on high school SCFs for the establishment of better school standards and best practices.

Exploring Motives and Types of Bullying in Young Adults: Cases From China

Bullying issues occur among adolescents and young adults globally, however, it does not get enough scholarly attention in mainland China (Zhou et al., 2013). This article aims to explore the motives and types of bullying through two cases: one in a high school setting, and the other in a college/university campus in the mid-eastern area of China. Participants included 315 senior high sophomores and 265 freshmen university students. Students completed a questionnaire reporting their bullying experience as witness, victim, or/and perpetrator, as well as their definition of bullying behaviors. 258(81.90%) senior high and 239(90.18%) undergraduate participants had witnessed bullying behaviors before. While 199(63.18%) senior high and 175(66.10%) undergraduate participants reported as bullying victims. The most-reported bullying behavior was verbal bullying, most bullying incidents happened in a classroom, and were inflicted by their peers. Moreover, the researchers explored the motives behind the bullying behavior. The findings help deepen our understanding of bullying epidemics in China educational settings and have implications on preventing the problems and improving the campus climate.

Urban Education Esports for Equity and Access

This chapter dives into the real-world experiences that one educator experienced in his 14-year career teaching and mentoring students. The chapter explores using video games to connect and educate students as well as the use of varsity esports programs to drive student interactions during extracurricular activities. Through the chapter, the author will progress from the start of his career to finding new affiliations to help build a successful esports program within a high school setting. The anecdotal experiences will serve as a case study to help other educators find resources and develop a pathway to create esports opportunities in their own schools.

High School Coaches’ Knowledge and Behaviors for Emergency Preparedness

Emergency action plans (EAPs) are considered best practice for the preparation of catastrophic events in sports and, when adequate, can effectively improve patient outcomes. The EAPs should include a collaboration of all personnel involved in the sporting activities, with high school coaches being well-positioned to implement these plans. Therefore, coaches can have a direct influence on the health and safety of their athletes through their involvement in an emergency response. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the understanding and adoption of EAPs as reported by coaches. A web-based questionnaire assessed adoption of an EAP; decisional stages for adoption of components of an EAP; and various characteristics (e.g., access to an athletic trainer facilitators and barriers). A total of 720 responses were included in this study. Nearly 25% of coaches reported being unaware if their school had an EAP, and coaches were more likely to adopt a comprehensive EAP if their school had access to an athletic trainer. A majority of coaches perceived financial assistance as a facilitator and financial limitations as a barrier for EAP implementation. The findings of this investigation illustrate the need for improved coaches’ educational awareness of emergency preparedness strategies within the high school setting.