Visiting Teachers and Students with Developmental Disabilities

The profession of school social work began in 1906 but was not recognized in federal legislation for students with disabilities until nearly 70 years later. However, since 1906, school social workers have worked with students considered at-risk for academic failure, including students with disabilities. This article highlights the beginning of the visiting teacher movement, from 1906 through 1920, with a particular emphasis on the role of the visiting teacher within the context of working with students with developmental disabilities. Implications for school social work practitioners are discussed

Book Review: Decision Cases For Advanced Social Work Practice

According to the reviewer, the book is a collection of decision cases designed to promote discussion and critical thinking among social work students and new social work graduates. The book begins with brief notes to instructors and students. For instructors, the author offers a website with teaching notes that are designed to help in selecting cases for class use and leading class discussions. For students, the authors offer some explanation on the purpose and design of the cases. The authors then provide an “Introduction to the Cases” through which they differentiate decision cases from other types of cases used for educational purposes, describe the learning outcomes that can be expected from the use of the cases with social work students, and provide a helpful chart that allows the reader to cross-reference each case with a particular setting, client system, population at risk, ethical issue, and technical knowledge

Children with Disabilities in Foster Care: The Role of the School Social Worker in the Context of Special Education

The article discusses the role of the school social worker in the education of children with disabilities in foster care. It notes that most children in foster care have been traumatized by physical abuse or neglect and have often encountered unhealthy social and familial conditions. It cites studies which found low levels of knowledge and high levels of frustration regarding educational resources, procedures and regulations among child welfare workers

Quantifying the qualities of team players using the Lencioni framework of humble, hungry, and smart: considerations for team science and interprofessional collaborative practice in health organizations and academic programs

The purpose of this study was to explore and quantify 3 qualities of team players using Patrick Lencioni’s framework for the Ideal Team Player by examining drive or motivation to achieve (hungry), emotional intelligence and interpersonal relationship skills (smart), and humility (humble). The relationship between the 3 qualities and team ratings of participant leadership effectiveness and competence, as well as likelihood for career derailment and career-stalling problems, were also examined. This was an exploratory, correlational design that involved secondary data analyses of a large dataset using a 5-step hierarchical regression analysis. Deidentified participant data were collected through random selection by means of a data request from the Center for Creative Leadership’s participant database. The results showed that while Hungry was a statistically significant predictor of Boss Ratings of a team member/manager’s effectiveness and the Team’s ratings of Competence, Smart and Humble were not. While there was statistical significance for Hungry, there were not for Humble and Smart, indicating some limitations to the study design. In practice, the results of the study provide a valuable framework for improving teamwork through team development interventions applied at the individual and the group level and can be applied to Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice at the pre- and in-service level. This is the first study to explore humility, emotional intelligence, drive, and motivation together in relation to performance ratings and to translate the findings into practical application for the healthcare industry. Keywords: IPE/IPP, Teamwork, Team Interventions, Team Science, Big Five Personality, Humility, Motivation, Emotional Intelligence, job performance, contextual performanc

Design, implementation and evaluation of the Language Experiences Advancement Program : ameliorating language delays in kindergarten

The purpose of this evaluation study was to assess the progress in grades kindergarten, one, and two, of children who were referred in the kindergarten year for a special amelioration program for language delays. Achievement measures that were evaluated included: retentions, special placements, and standardized test scores which were part of the district testing policy. Ninety-nine children comprised the sample. The sample consisted of three cohorts: Cohort 1 had completed second grade, Cohort 2 had completed first grade, and Cohort 3 had completed kindergarten. Each cohort consisted of two groups: a comparison group (nonparticipants) and a treatment group (participants). T-tests on relative language delay revealed a significant initial difference between the treatment and comparison groups, with the treatment group's delay more severe. Two factor ANCOVAs, factoring for group and cohort; and one factor ANCOVAs, factoring for group after each cohort had been selected out, revealed no significant differences between the treatment and comparison groups on any of the achievement measures

Reconceptualizing Human Security: A Feminist Perspective

Critics of the human security literature claim that current definitions and conceptions of human security are too vague to be useful. There is some truth to the critiques; in an effort to fill the gaps in the security literature, this paper presents a feminist-based definition of human security and tests its relevance through a case study of the political, social and economic securities of women in Jordan. The study revealed that women in Jordan—a country known for its stability in a tumultuous region—still face a number of threats each day. Most notably, political and social insecurities stem from economic insecurity. Within Jordan, these findings suggest that nongovernmental agencies and women’s organizations should channel funding and efforts into economic enhancement programs. Internationally, policymakers should be aware of hidden insecurities within seemingly secure states. Furthermore, human security efforts bolster national security efforts and should be incorporated into the broader spectrum of security studies

The Influence Of Personal Interpretation On Nature Walk Participant Knowledge, Perceived Importance Of Interpretation, And Perceived Ability To Communicate Conservation Messages

Interpretation in Recreation has been shown to increase participant’s view of parks as a special place, attachment to parks, enjoyment of surroundings, and awareness of park policies. Interpretation in recreation can come in one of two forms, personal interpretation or media interpretation. This study seeks to further investigate the roles of these two different types of interpretation and how they affect an individual’s perceived importance of interpretation, perceived knowledge of the local ecology, history, and geology, and perceived ability to convey conservation messages. Participants in the study were chosen based on convenience, and then randomly divided into two groups (treatment and comparison). The treatment group went on an interpretive hike guided by an interpreter (personal interpretation), while the comparison group went on an interpretive hike, but had no interpreter only interpretive signs (media interpretation). The individuals in the study were given paper surveys that were designed to evaluate their perceived importance of interpretation, perceived knowledge of the local ecology, history, and geology, and perceived ability to convey conservation messages. Statistical analyses of the participant’s responses showed mixed results. Taking into account the various limitations of this study no broad statements about interpretation can be made. However, many of the trends found in this study could have positive implications for the field of interpretation if verified by future studies

African American mothers of children with disabilities: parental advocacy within rural special education

Studies on parent involvement in education have most often been gender-neutral, although it is primarily mothers who undertake such work (Reay, 1998; West & Noden, 1998). While African American mothers advocating for their children's educational needs is not a new occurrence, it is one that has yet to receive the attention it necessitates. Mothering work in support of children's education is rarely explored, while qualitative studies that focus specifically on African American mothers' of children with disabilities, and the decisions they make on behalf of their children, are a rarity. And, while special education research has examined varied experiences of parents, there is an obvious gap in examining specific diverse populations within the context of special education. The purpose of this research is to critically examine the overlap of race, class, and gender in parental special education advocacy, combining social and cultural capital theories with a framework Collins (1994) and Cooper (2007) describe as `motherwork' to provide an understanding, from a strengths-based perspective, of the experiences and meanings African American mothers make of their interactions within the special education setting as they attempt to elicit their voices in the decision-making for their children. The findings will add to the research on parent involvement in special education settings, examine the experiences of African American mothers of children with disabilities in an effort to counteract educators' sometimes negative perceptions of parents as adversarial, dysfunctional (Powell, Hecimovic, & Christenson, 1993, as cited in Spann, Kohler, & Soenksen, 2003; Rosin, 1996, as cited in Spann et al., 2003; Salisbury & Dunst, 1997, as cited in Spann et al., 2003) or untrustworthy sources of information (Gilliam & Coleman, 1981, as cited in Spann et al., 2003; McAfee & Vergason, 1979, as cited in Spann et al., 2003), and provide a perspective that will enable educators and policymakers to focus on the strengths of rural African American mothers while understanding some of the barriers they face

Facilitating Racial Equity in Schools: A Social Work Perspective

This presentation is designed to introduce the concept of racial equity in relation to social work practice in school settings. Through the use of state school systems data, research literature, and a professional code of ethics, a five-module training was developed. These modules taught school social workers how to confront inequities at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of the school system

Characterizing The Effects Of Ventilation Fans, Double Glazing, And An Automated Sidewall Roll-Up System On An Unheated High Tunnel Greenhouse In The North Carolina High Country

A high tunnel greenhouse allows agricultural producers to extend growing seasons and improve the quality of crops. High tunnel greenhouses are a viable option for agricultural producers because they are scalable, inexpensive, and easy to construct. These structures are relatively simple and require additional inputs for heating and cooling as seasonal weather variations affect the internal microclimate of the greenhouse. There are many methods for increasing a greenhouse's ability to maintain an optimal indoor microclimate. This study quantifies the individual effects of double glazing, ventilation and HAF fans, and an automated sidewall roll-up system on temperature, relative humidity levels, and light transmission in a unheated high tunnel greenhouse that is located in the North Carolina High Country. The study will also analyze the combined overall effect of five greenhouse technologies, double glazing, ventilation fans, horizontal airflow fans, an insulated ground skirt, and the automated sidewall roll-up system, working in conjunction. The study found that there was a 16.3% increase in the greenhouse's ability to maintain temperatures above 32F, and a 20% increase in the greenhouse's ability to maintain temperatures under 90F after the installation of all five systems. Frequency of freezing and overheating events in the greenhouse were reduced significantly