A Construct-Modeling Approach to Develop a Learning Progression of how Students Understand the Structure of Matter

This paper builds on the current literature base about learning progressions in science to address the question, “What is the nature of the learning progression in the content domain of the structure of matter?” We introduce a learning progression in response to that question and illustrate a methodology, the Construct Modeling (Wilson, 2005) approach, for investigating the progression through a developmentally based iterative process. This study puts forth a progression of how students understand the structure of matter by empirically inter-relating constructs of different levels of sophistication using a sample of 1,087 middle grade students from a large diverse public school district in the western part of the United States. The study also shows that student thinking can be more complex than hypothesized as in the case of our discovery of a substructure of understanding in a single construct within the larger progression. Data were analyzed using a multidimensional Rasch model. Implications for teaching and learning are discussed—we suggest that the teacher’s choice of instructional approach needs to be fashioned in terms of a model, grounded in evidence, of the paths through which learning might best proceed, working toward the desired targets by a pedagogy which also cultivates students’ development as effective learners. This research sheds light on the need for assessment methods to be used as guides for formative work and as tools to ensure the learning goals have been achieved at the end of the learning period. The development and investigation of a learning progression of how students understand the structure of matter using the Construct Modeling approach makes an important contribution to the research on learning progressions and serves as a guide to the planning and implementation in the teaching of this topic. # 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 54: 1024–1048, 201

A Legacy of Collaborative School Leadership: Ima Hogg and The Houston School Board, 1943-1949

School boards are very powerful entities whose decisions have a significant impact on millions of students in the United States. Since the formation of the first local school boards in Massachusetts in the late 1700s, these groups of local officials have directed public education in their communities (Land, 2000). Throughout the nineteenth century, unpaid members of school boards managed both the daily operations of local schools districts and created policy. In the first half of the twentieth century, however, the increasing school population meant increased responsibilities for school board members as they oversaw increasingly larger and more complex institutions. The management of district infrastructure including facilities, transportation, food, etc. as well as responding to state legislation such as compulsory attendance laws slowly changed the model of school board governance. At first, professional managers (superintendents) were hired to oversee and manage the district\u27s operations and school board members still participated in daily operations through committee oversight. In the latter half of the twentieth century, as both districts and responsibilities grew, increasing numbers of full-time personnel were hired to carry out the daily business of school districts (Gates, 2013; Halik, 2012; Sell, 2005)

Food / Now: On Climate Mitigation, Sustainable Farming and Food Security in Massachusetts

The global scientific community sees climate change as an existential threat and the greatest challenge of the 21st century. There is a distinct correlation between climate change, agricultural practices, an food insecurity. All of this speaks to the urgent need to address hunger in American in this larger context. Even more so, given how the US is a primary contributor to the climate crisis---due in no small part to the monocrop paradigm of big agribusiness. The USDA\u27s Economic Research Service attributes 9.6% of the country\u27s total greenhouse gas emissions to agriculture, but that figure does not take into account the relationship between agribusiness and transportation---a significant greenhouse-gas contributor, at 29%---and the vast network of transportation and storage (refrigeration) systems and practices required to support agribusiness. Massachusetts is a leader in creating and supporting initiatives that promote sustainable farming and food security, but there is much to be done. To effectively alleviate food insecurity, it must be addressed under the umbrella of climate change

"Kia Mauri Tau!" Narratives of recovery from disabling mental health problems

A bicultural research team at the University of Waikato successfully applied for funding from the Health Research Council to do a qualitative research project in the area of ‘pathways to wellness’. The Mental Health Narratives Project set out to gather forty narratives of mental ill health, recovery and life after recovery by interviewing Maori and non-Maori women and men who once had a disabling mental health problem. We aimed to describe journeys to mental health, identify key themes in accounts of the recovery process and describe the impact of the experience of mental ill health on life after recovery

Tenth Grade Listening Module

The purpose of the study was to construct a listening module for tenth grade students who were at least four grade levels behind in reading comprehension. The module was designed to be self-pacing, self-checking, motivating and improve factual recall. The module consisted of fifteen taped lessons, a taped pre test and post test, and was introduced by a motivational and directional statement. The lessons were chosen for their highly motivating nature and were organized in order of difficulty and length; the easier and shorter stories at the beginning and gradually getting more difficult and longer. In the module the students listened to a story and then were directed to complete an activity. They were also given instruction in the skill of factual recall before they began each story. They had a module booklet which contained all the activities and answers to assure independence. The pre test was administered first and when all lessons were completed, the post test was given. The module was integrated into the student1s language arts class and they worked on the module two hours a week for two weeks during the pilot testing. Included in the time devoted to the module was individual conferences with the teacher. Also, the students worked in groups of four to encourage feedback from peers

Adolescents' experiences of living with HIV and AIDS.

A growing body of research exists that examines the nature of i n tervent ions aimed at educa ting adolescents in t e rms of HIV and AIDS (Campbell, 2003; Campbell & McPhail, 2002; Van Dyk, 2001). However, there appears to be a grave pauci ty of l i t e rature that explor es the impact of HIV and AIDS on adolescents’ psychological and emotional functioning. Adolescents who live in the af t e rmath following the death of a parent, or parents often have to deal with rejection from thei r community, and are often confronted with significant emo t ional, educa tional and psycho-social challenges. These cha llenges continue to pose enormous threat to the development of a healthy s e lf-concept (Foster & Germann, 2002). These adolescents continue to be marginalized as their voices remain largely s i l e n t in contemporar y research . Using a combination of Art therapy, and narr ative creation, twenty-eight adolescents participated in a group intervention intended to facilitate, empower and encourage meaning making processes, and to f ac i l i t at e both oral and wr i t ten communica tion about the i r exper iences of living wi th HIV and AIDS. Findings suggest that while adolescents living with HIV and AIDS continue to have significant emotional, physiological, and social cha l lenges on a daily basis, their stories espouse great hope, determination and resilience

Gender, Science, and the Natural World: Essays on Medieval Literature from the 2020 Gender and Medieval Studies Conference

Introduction to the special issue of literature articles from the 2020 Gender and Medieval Studies Conference