Exploring the Enactment of Functional Curriculum in Self-Contained Cross-Categorical Programs: A Case Study

Little research has been devoted to studying functional curriculum in secondary special education programs, self-contained cross-categorical programs, or curriculum enactment in special education, which warrants study of the culmination of these issues. This article presents a case study that attempts to answer, “What is the nature of the enactment of functional curriculum in rural self-contained cross-categorical programs?” The study occurred in two rural secondary self-contained cross-categorical programs with two teachers, four paraprofessionals, and 15 students. The findings suggest that the curriculum was enacted in the moment, was relative, and created tensions between special education and general education. The findings also suggest that the enactment had to be very encompassing and that it developed a community within each programs

How Size and Setting Impact Education in Rural Schools

School variables, such as school size and school location, matter. School size and location impact many areas of education, including the characteristics of the school, curriculum, and post-school outcomes. Research reveals that students in rural schools face many personal and education hardships – from living in poverty to having less opportunity and sophistication in technology. Rural schools also have fewer course offerings. While rural schools are a unique, urban and rural schools may be more similar than expected, particularly as compared to more affluent suburban districts. Rural and urban schools have larger rates of poverty and more dire financial situations, which do impact the educational offerings, experiences, and outcomes of their students

Supporting Middle School Students in Tier 2 Math Labs: Instructional Strategies

Response to Intervention (RtI) has become a common support system for students; yet, no universal RtI model exists, especially for mathematics and specifically at the middle school level. This article focuses on a specific model for delivering Tier 2 mathematics supports and services at the middle school level: math labs. Evidence–based and research–supported interventions are discussed that support the delivery of Tier 2 services within a middle school math lab RtI structure. A fictionalized vignette, drawing from multiple actual cases, is presented to highlight the use of a Tier 2 math lab within a middle school setting

Assembly and analysis of the chloroplast genome of the North American hybrid grape ‘Norton’

'Norton' is a hybrid grape cultivar of North American Vitis aestivalis. In this report, the whole chloroplast (cp) genome was assembled and analyzed. Total length of the 'Norton' cp genome is 160,913 bp in comparison to 160,928 bp of the cp genome of V. vinifera 'Maxxa'. The sequence is highly conserved between the two cp genomes, with a sequence identity of 99 % and identical haplotypes for the three best-studied cpSSR markers (cpSSR3, cpSSR5 and cpSSR10). A total of 73 indels and 147 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found between the two genomes. Amino acid changes were identified in 10 coding regions. Six DNA fragments with predicted changes between the two cp genomes were amplified from 'Norton' and wild V. aestivalis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The sequencing of these DNA fragments verified assembled sequences except for one region that has low coverage in the assembly. Comparison of indels and SNPs in the verified regions indicated that 'Norton' cp genome contains signature variants that are found only in the cp genome of wild V. aestivalis. These sequence variants can be used as genetic markers for distinguishing grape cultivars and in breeding new cultivars