Liderança de Directores nas Escolas "Contra todos os Prognósticos”... os Defensores para Justiça Social e Equidade

To explore the role that principal leadership plays in shaping school performance, this article draws on data from eight high schools that are “beating the odds” (i.e., they are outperforming expectations and have done so consistently for five or more years). Beating the Odds (BTO) schools were chosen strategically for their ability to produce high rates of learning with challenging student populations. By cultivating the elements of will and capacity, the principals in these BTO schools worked actively to promote organizational commitment and to hold both individual teachers and groups of teachers responsible for learning outcomes. BTO principals effectively recruited, retained, and strengthened their faculties through supervision, professional development, and professional learning communities. Driven by a common commitment to the organization and its goals, and by administrative and professional accountability, teachers and principals created a disciplined environment for learning and implemented a distinctive set of curricular, instructional, and assessment practicesEste artículo se basa en datos de ocho escuelas secundarias “contra todo pronóstico” (BTO, según sus siglas en inglés), es decir, escuelas que superan sus expectativas y lo han hecho constantemente durante cinco o más años para explorar el papel que juega el liderazgo del director sobre el rendimiento escolar Las escuelas fueron elegidas estratégicamente por su capacidad para producir altas tasas de aprendizaje con poblaciones desafiantes. Gracias a la voluntad y a su capacidad, los directores de las escuelas BTO trabajaron activamente para promover el compromiso organizacional y para que los profesores se sintieran responsables de los resultados de aprendizaje. Directores BTO seleccionados fortalecieron sus facultades a través de la supervisión, el desarrollo profesional, y las comunidades profesionales de aprendizaje. El compromiso común con la organización y sus objetivos, y la responsabilidad administrativa y profesional impulsó a los maestros y directores a crear un ambiente disciplinado para el aprendizaje donde implementar un conjunto distintivo de prácticas curriculares, de enseñanza y evaluaciónEste artigo é baseado em dados de oito escolas secundárias "Contra todos os Prognósticos" (BTO, de acordo com sua sigla em Inglês), ou seja, escolas que excedam suas expectativas e têm feito de forma consistente durante cinco ou mais anos para explorar o papel da principais lideranças sobre o desempenho escolar. As escolas foram estrategicamente escolhidos pela sua capacidade de produzir altas taxas de aprender com as populações difíceis. Graças à vontade e capacidade, os diretores das escolas BTO trabalhou ativamente para promover o comprometimento com a organização e para os professores responsáveis pelos resultados da aprendizagem sentir. Diretores selecionados BTO reforçaram as suas faculdades, através de supervisão, desenvolvimento profissional, e comunidades de aprendizagem profissional. O compromisso comum com a organização e os seus objectivos, a responsabilidade administrativa e profissional exortou os professores e diretores para criar um ambiente de aprendizagem disciplinado, onde a implementação de um conjunto distinto de práticas curriculares, ensino e avaliaçã

Transformative Adult Learning Strategies: Assessing the Impact on Pre-Service Administrators\u27 Beliefs

The purpose of this article is to explore the effects of an alternative, transformative andragogy, i.e., the art and science of helping others to learn, designed to be responsive to the challenges of preparing educational leaders committed to social justice and equity

Schools of Excellence AND Equity? Using Equity Audits as a Tool to Expose a Flawed System of Recognition

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how equity audits can be used as a tool to expose disparate achievement in schools that, on the surface and to the public, appear quite similar. To that end, the researcher probed beyond surface-level performance composite scores into deeper, more hidden data associated with state-recognized "Honor Schools of Excellence." How is "excellence" defined and operationalized in these schools? Are these schools "excellent" for all students? Can a school really be classified by the state as "excellent" and yet still have significant "gaps" and disparities? If so, is the state's formula used to identify exemplary schools too simple, dogmatic, and institutionally flawed? Through the use of equity audits, quantitative data was collected to scan for systemic patterns of equity and inequity across multiple domains of student learning and activities within 24 elementary schools. The intent was to document and distinguish between schools that are promoting and supporting both academic excellence (small gap schools; SGS) and systemic equity and schools that are not (large gap schools; LGS). Results reveal that although demographic, teacher quality, and programmatic audits all indicated a fair amount of equity between SGS and LGS, the achievement audit between both types of schools indicated great disparities. By controlling for or eliminating some of the external variables and internal factors often cited for the achievement gaps between white middle-class children and children of color or children from low-income families, the findings from this study raise more questions than answers. Results do indicate that equity audits are a practical, easy-to-apply tool that educators can use to identify inequalities objectively

Preparing Turnaround Principals via Race-to-the-Top Initiative: Lessons Learned from Regional Leadership Academies

Great schools need great leaders! In fact, according to recent research by Seashore Louis, Leithwood, Wahlstrom and Anderson (2010), “To date we have not found a single case of a school improving its student achievement record in the absence of talented leadership (p.9).” As such, North Carolina’s Race-to-the-Top (RttT) grant earmarked approximately $17.5 million to “increase the number of principals qualified to lead transformational change in low-performing schools in both rural and urban areas” (NCDPI, 2010, p.10). To accomplish this, the state established three Regional Leadership Academies (RLAs) “approved for certifying principals [and] designed to . . . provide a new model for the preparation, early career support, and continuous professional development of school leaders” (NCDPI, 2010, p.10). This article describes the independent evaluation of this initiative including the recruitment, selection, training, placement, and expenditure processes associated with each of the three academies. Keywods: Principal Preparation, Turnaround Principals, Race-to-the-Top Initiative, Alternative Licensure Programs, Evaluatio

Applied Empirical Research on Nonprofit Organization Management: Survey and Recommendations

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This paper reports the results of a telephone survey and a literature search undertaken to determine the nature and scope of recent applied empirical research studies related to nonprofit organization management and to suggest what the priority areas for such research should be In the Immediate future. The paper provided background material for the Institute for Nonprofit Organization Management at the University of San Francisco to use In setting Its research priorities. Applied research was contrasted with basic or pure research and was operationally defined as research the findings of which could be of Immediate use to managers and boards of nonprofit organizations In Improving their organizations\u27 functioning and/or In solving practical problems. Thirty-three people with expertise In the field of nonprofit management research were surveyed by telephone to determine their priorities for this type of research and to seek sources for the literature search. Priorities suggested by these experts Included research on personnel management, strategic planning, computer use, financial management, program and performance evaluation, fund raising, volunteerism, boards of directors, linkage and collaboration, marketing, technical assistance provision, and management education. The literature search surveyed business periodicals, social science periodicals, dissertations, and specialized publications In the fund raising and volunteer administration fields. Another source was Independent Sector\u27s compilation of current research studies In the nonprofit field. Using the operational definition of applied research as a filter, these sources yielded a total of nine studies In volunteerism, five studies on boards of directors, three on personnel management, three on financial management, twenty-one on fund raising, six on evaluation, six on survival and change, two on strategic planning, two on for-profit ventures within nonprofits, two on purchase of service contracting, and one each on constituent Involvement, Information management, and executive competencies. Using the data gathered through the telephone survey and the literature search, the following eight topics were suggested as research priorities for the Institute for Nonprofit Organization Management at USF: financial management; personnel management; funding the sector (Including both fund raising and alternative funding sources); boards of directors; strategic planning; evaluation; technical assistance provision; education of managers. These priorities were seen to be of crucial Importance to managers and boards of nonprofit organizations. They also seemed especially appropriate for study by a university-based Institute with a graduate degree program In nonprofit organization management. Most of the experts surveyed commented on the dearth of applied empirical research In the field. This was substantiated by the findings of the literature search. It was concluded that the Institute for Non profit Organization Management at USF would be adding greatly to the store of Information available to leaders of nonprofit organizations by sponsoring studies In the priority areas listed

Oxidative Stress Response to Short Duration Bout of Submaximal Aerobic Exercise in Healthy Young Adults

The purpose of this study was to investigate the oxidative stress response to a short duration bout of submaximal exercise in a cohort of healthy young adults. 15 apparently healthy college age males and females completed a modified Bruce-protocol treadmill test to 75–80% of their heart rate reserve. Blood samples collected immediately before (pre-exercise), immediately after, 30, 60 and 120 minutes post-exercise were assayed for total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide disumutase (SOD), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and protein carbonyls (PC). SOD activity was significantly increased from pre-exercise levels at 30 minutes (77%), 60 minutes (33%), and 120 minutes (37%) post-exercise. TAC levels were also significantly increased from pre-exercise levels at 60 minutes (30%) and 120 minutes (33%) post-exercise. There were no significant changes in biomarkers for reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (RONS) mediated damage (TBARS and PC) across all post-exercise time points. In a cohort of healthy young adults, a short duration bout of submaximal aerobic exercise elicited increases in antioxidant activity/concentration, but did not evoke changes in oxidative stress-induced damage. These results may suggest that: (1) short duration bouts of submaximal aerobic exercise are sufficient to induce RONS generation; and (2) the antioxidant defense system is capable of protecting against enhanced RONS production induced by a short duration, submaximal exercise bout in healthy young adults

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Education to Address Substance Use Disorders: Education in Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)

As substance use disorders (SUDs) continue to rise in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, occupational therapy practitioners are in a unique position to help individuals seek immediate screening, brief intervention, and referral for treatment upon first entry in a healthcare setting. Occupational therapy practitioners have helped individuals overcome SUDs since almost the beginning of the profession, however, there is a paucity of literature on entry-level practitioners’ preparedness for such work. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an entry-level occupational therapy curriculum module on Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), a universal public health approach by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services taught to occupational therapy students. Student participants were provided with classroom education, online learning materials, an interactive case study, an interprofessional education event, and debriefing with community members in recovery. These educational experiences demonstrated significant increases in pre-and post-score means of participants’ knowledge, confidence, competence, attitudes on SUDs, and readiness for conducting an SBIRT protocol. This study aims to illustrate how SBIRT educational practices can empower future practitioners to be effective agents of change in addressing substance use disorders in an evolving healthcare landscape

A Comparison Between Resist Hardening Using a Conformable Mold and Plasma Resist Image Stabilization: Techniques to Enhance Resist Thermal Stability

KTI-820, a positive photoresist was hardened utilizing two different methods. The PRIST technique involved the exposure of the patterned resist to a plasma containing CF4 plus Helium followed by a 210C, 30 mm postbake. The RHCM technique involved the encapsulation of the patterned resist with a PMMA mold followed by a 210C, 30 mm postbake and subsequent PMMA removal. The performance of hardened structures on multilayer substrates was investigated for both dry etching and ion implantation processes. The results indicate that the RHCM technique is the superior method. Scanning electron micrographs showed a minimum amount of pattern distortion while nanoline measurements show a minimum change in linewidth dimension

A Weakly Supervised Classifier and Dataset of White Supremacist Language

We present a dataset and classifier for detecting the language of white supremacist extremism, a growing issue in online hate speech. Our weakly supervised classifier is trained on large datasets of text from explicitly white supremacist domains paired with neutral and anti-racist data from similar domains. We demonstrate that this approach improves generalization performance to new domains. Incorporating anti-racist texts as counterexamples to white supremacist language mitigates bias.Comment: ACL 2023 shor