Convalescent plasma in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised controlled, open-label, platform trial

SummaryBackground Azithromycin has been proposed as a treatment for COVID-19 on the basis of its immunomodulatoryactions. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of azithromycin in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19.Methods In this randomised, controlled, open-label, adaptive platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19Therapy [RECOVERY]), several possible treatments were compared with usual care in patients admitted to hospitalwith COVID-19 in the UK. The trial is underway at 176 hospitals in the UK. Eligible and consenting patients wererandomly allocated to either usual standard of care alone or usual standard of care plus azithromycin 500 mg once perday by mouth or intravenously for 10 days or until discharge (or allocation to one of the other RECOVERY treatmentgroups). Patients were assigned via web-based simple (unstratified) randomisation with allocation concealment andwere twice as likely to be randomly assigned to usual care than to any of the active treatment groups. Participants andlocal study staff were not masked to the allocated treatment, but all others involved in the trial were masked to theoutcome data during the trial. The primary outcome was 28-day all-cause mortality, assessed in the intention-to-treatpopulation. The trial is registered with ISRCTN, 50189673, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04381936.Findings Between April 7 and Nov 27, 2020, of 16 442 patients enrolled in the RECOVERY trial, 9433 (57%) wereeligible and 7763 were included in the assessment of azithromycin. The mean age of these study participants was65·3 years (SD 15·7) and approximately a third were women (2944 [38%] of 7763). 2582 patients were randomlyallocated to receive azithromycin and 5181 patients were randomly allocated to usual care alone. Overall,561 (22%) patients allocated to azithromycin and 1162 (22%) patients allocated to usual care died within 28 days(rate ratio 0·97, 95% CI 0·87–1·07; p=0·50). No significant difference was seen in duration of hospital stay (median10 days [IQR 5 to >28] vs 11 days [5 to >28]) or the proportion of patients discharged from hospital alive within 28 days(rate ratio 1·04, 95% CI 0·98–1·10; p=0·19). Among those not on invasive mechanical ventilation at baseline, nosignificant difference was seen in the proportion meeting the composite endpoint of invasive mechanical ventilationor death (risk ratio 0·95, 95% CI 0·87–1·03; p=0·24).Interpretation In patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, azithromycin did not improve survival or otherprespecified clinical outcomes. Azithromycin use in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 should be restrictedto patients in whom there is a clear antimicrobial indication

Lee, Reginald S., Kathryn M. Borman, and William Tyson, Florida\u27s A+ Plan: Education Reform Policies and Student Outcomes, pp. 241-279 in Kathryn M. Borman and Sherman Dorn, eds., Educational Reform in Florida: Diversity and Equity in Public Policy. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2007.

Reports and analyzes student outcomes data in Florida under Governor Bush\u27s A+ Plan for the first years of implementation; poverty and race (among 20 variables) highly correlates with poor results

Reforma matemática e qualidade de professores no Ensino Fundamental: Avaliações, licenciamento e certificação de professores

We analyzed the gap in mathematics standards, assessments and accountability, and teacher licensure and certification requirements in mathematics for elementary grades. We found states delineated mathematics academic standards in specific content areas. Licensure and certification requirements were weak indicators since they lacked the specificity of conceptual and procedural knowledge that could strengthen mathematics content knowledge and inform instructional practices. The most recent changes in licensure and certification requirements intended to affect teacher quality are not reaching a large proportion of elementary teachers; thus, their overall impact on teacher quality is likely to be limited. We discuss policy strategies for licensure and certification requirements likely to have a broader reach in addressing teacher quality at the elementary grades.Se analizaron las diferencias en estándares, evaluaciones, procesos de rendición de cuentas, y requisitos de certificación docente en el área de matemáticas para la escuela primaria. Encontramos que los Estados determinaron los niveles académicos en matemáticas en áreas de contenido específicos. Las licencias y los requisitos de certificación son indicadores débiles porque carecen de especificidad sobre conocimientos conceptuales y de procedimiento que podrían reforzar los conocimientos acerca de los contenidos de matemáticas e ayudar a mejorar a las prácticas de enseñanza. Los cambios más recientes en los modelos de licenciamiento y los requisitos de certificación que intentan mejorar la calidad de la formación de los docentes en el área de matemáticas no llegan a la mayoría de los maestros de primaria, por lo que su impacto global es bastante limitado. Discutimos las estrategias de política para obtener la licencia y los requisitos de certificación que podrían tener un mayor alcance para mejorar la calidad de los docentes en la escuela primaria.Analisamos a brecha nos padrões, nas avaliações e processos de prestação de contas, bem como o licenciamento e a certificação solicitados para o ensino de matemática do Ensino Fundamental. Encontramos estados determinaram padrões acadêmicos de matemática em áreas específicas de conteúdo. As solicitações de licenciamento e certificação foram indicadores fracos, uma vez que falta-lhes a especificidade do conhecimento conceitual e prático que poderiam reforçar o conhecimento do conteúdo de matemática e aperfeiçoar as práticas educativas. As recentes mudanças nas solicitações de licenciamento e certificação que buscaram afetar a qualidade docente não estão atingindo a maioria dos professores de Ensino Fundamental; desse modo, o impacto geral sobre a qualidade docente torna-se limitado. Discutimos estratégias políticas de licenciamento e os requisitos de certificação que possam ter um alcance mais amplo no endereçamento da qualidade docente no Ensino Fundamental

Cultural production and reproduction in contemporary schools

The articles included in this section include a wide range of topical areas and theoretical frameworks. A common set of organizing ideas links the articles that, taken together, cover the life course of school-aged children and young adults engaged in formal schooling arrangements. Three important concepts related to schooling in a capitalist society constitute overlapping themes. These themes are: (1) persistent and inherent inequities in the educational delivery system, resulting in equally persistent gaps in academic achievement between groups of students; (2) inadequacies of current pedagogical and administrative practices; and (3) the continuing importance of race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) in structuring students' life experiences and opportunities

Formal schooling and the production of modern citizens in the Ecuadorian Amazon

The full-text of this book chapter is not available in ORA. Citation: Rival, L. (2000). 'Formal schooling and the production of modern citizens in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In: Levinson, B. A. U. et al. (eds.) Schooling the symbolic animal: social and cultural dimensions of education. Oxford: Rowman and Littlefield, pp. 108-122