Barriers to effective programming of rural gifted and talented students

Gifted and talented students in rural areas have barriers that are specific to them. Through a review of literature on gifted and talented students in rural schools this writer has determined five barriers to effective educational programming: (1) Anti-intellectualism as a societal attitude; (2) isolation of rural gifted students; (3) the all-encompassing role of the gifted and talented teacher; (4) inadequate curricular or programming opportunities; and (5) lack of funding. The review and analysis of literature on the rural gifted and talented include the recommendation that much more research needs to be conducted in the area of service to rural gifted and talented students. Specific recommendations are made for addressing and overcoming each of the discovered barriers

Effective programming of a school district\u27s educational access channel

The purpose of this study is to develop a district policy and practice of collecting and disseminating school information and public service announcements to the public using Atlantic City Public Schools\u27 educational access channel, ACTV Channel 2. Using a case study research design, the project will result in an evaluation of current usage by parents and families of children who attend Atlantic City Public Schools and what they would like to view. An upgrade in programming with more educational programs was a major objective for this study. To assist in programming improvement, a questionnaire survey was developed and was administered to a random sample of family members from Atlantic City Public Schools. 146 surveys were mailed and 100 were returned by the respondents. The results presented here are based on a survey design, which would be defined as a cross-sectional survey design. The results show that educational shows such as nature, science, history, reading, and mathematics are the most requested items to be viewed on ACTV Channel 2. Community and Atlantic City School District information was also highly requested by the respondents

The Growth & Increasing Cost of the Federal Prison System: Drivers and Potential Solutions

The federal prison population has been growing dramatically; its current population exceeds 218,000, with projections of continued growth for the foreseeable future. A wide array of actors -- Members of Congress, administration officials, a bipartisan cast of policy advocates, and researchers -- has concluded that this growth and its associated costs are unsustainable. The basis for this conclusion varies:Fiscal impact. Resources spent on the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) eclipse other budget priorities.Overcrowding risks. Overcrowded facilities can jeopardize the safety of inmates and staff and limit opportunities for effective programming that can reduce recidivism.Fairness/equity concerns. High levels of incarceration may have disproportionate impacts on certain subpopulations and communities.Inefficient resource allocation. Current research and recent evidence-based policy changes implemented in states raise questions about the cost-effectiveness of existing federal sentencing and corrections policies.The focus on this burgeoning population provides an opportunity to explore the drivers of population growth and costs and to develop options for stemming future growth that are consistent with public safety goals

Program Learning Event on Violence against Children in and around Schools in East Africa

Sponsored by the Elevate Children Funders Group (ECFG), a three-day Program Learning Event (PLE) on Violence against Children in and around Schools (VACiS) held in Kampala, Uganda from 14-16 July 2015, attracted 77 practitioners, donors, advocates, researchers and government representatives in the field of violence against children from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Germany, the United Kingdom and United States of America. The theme of the event was developing a common learning agenda on preventing and responding to VACiS

South-South cooperation in health professional education : a literature review

In the literature on the evolution of funding approaches there is criticism of traditional funding strategies and the promotion of inclusive models, such as South-South Cooperation (SSC) and triangular models. The latter are felt to have a number of advantages. This article has four broad objectives: (i) to present a literature review on the evolution of Southern approaches to development co-operation; (ii) to indicate examples of current co-operative programmes in health and health professional education in Africa; (iii) to assess the advantages and disadvantages of these models; and (iv) to mention some emerging issues in monitoring and evaluation. The Boolean logic approach was used to search for applicable literature within three topic layers. Searches were conducted using PubMed, PLoS and other accessible databases. An initial draft of the article was presented to a group of academics and researchers at the Flemish Inter-University Council (VLIR-UOS) Primafamed annual workshop held in August 2010 in Swaziland. Comments and suggestions from the group were included in later versions of the article. It is important to note that the existence of various funding models implemented by a variety of actors makes it difficult to measure their effects. In health and health professional education, however, SSC and triangular models of aid provide conditions for more effective programming through their focus on participation and long-term involvement. With an eye towards evaluating programmes, a number of salient issues are emerging. The importance of context is highlighted

Creating Effective Programming for Iraqi Adult Mentors in World Learning’s Youth Peacebuilding and Leadership Programs

This paper will examine how the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (IYLEP) can continue to grow and improve aspects of their programming. Specifically, the paper will address the role of the Iraqi adult leader. In order to increase the Iraqi adult’s learning and mentorship capacity the paper will explore Youth Programs, IYLEP, and apply leadership theory through the creation of a handbook that will assist staff in addressing the needs of the adult mentor. This handbook will set clear and understandable guidelines concerning the role of the Iraqi adult as well as including a set of worksheets. The focus and goal of these worksheets will be the development of leadership skills, which the Iraqi adults will apply their work upon their return home

Attitudes of US Voters toward Nonserious Offenders and Alternatives to Incarceration

In April, 2009, NCCD commissioned Zogby International to conduct a national public opinion poll about American voter attitudes toward our nation's response to nonviolent, nonserious crime. The results showed that striking majorities favor using methods other than incarceration to respond to nonserious crime

Assessment of wash program in public secondary schools in south-western Nigeria

The provision of safe water, sanitation and hygiene in schools has been established to improve health, boost educational achievement, and promote gender equity which has a positive impact on the society. The aim of this pilot study is to ascertain the state of WASH program in public secondary schools in South-Western Nigeria. A total of twelve schools which span across three Local Government areas in two States (Lagos and Ogun), in South-Western Nigeria were selected. The standard for WASH in schools by UNICEF was used as the guiding principles to evaluate the adequacy of the various WASH components. Out of the 12 public secondary schools visited, only 3 (25%) had drinking water points (boreholes) and 40% of the schools do not have separate latrines for boys and girls, and for promoting privacy of older girls. Only 1 (10%) of the schools had hand washing points but without soap and there is no plan in the schools for advancing WASH program. This study reveals that the present WASH practice in many of the schools is not adequate

Just Interpret to Me: Reflecting on NAI 2011

Last week saw Jake and I in St. Paul, Minnesota for the annual National Association for Interpretation workshop, a week long gathering of professional interpreters from around the nation. I\u27ll guarantee that the next couple of weeks will be filled with recaps from both of us on what struck us the most during the conference. Our reactions ranged from meh... to Dude! [excerpt