Grade Retention Policies and Student Success

Retaining lower-performing students and requiring them to repeat a grade is a relatively common practice across the United States. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 2.3 percent of students in grades kindergarten through eight were retained in grade in 2015. In principle, grade retention gives students a chance to improve on key performance indicators, and if retention is coupled with supplementary support services, these additional resources can also aid the student in catching up and achieving grade-level proficiency. School districts facing decisions on whether to retain students are left to balance these mixed findings while following state grade retention rules, making the implementation of retention policies a relatively complex issue. In this policy brief report, we examine the student retention policy of one of MAPLE’s partner school districts. Making use of historical individual-level data and prior retention policies that allowed for summer retest opportunities, we explore systematic correlations between specific policy characteristics and student outcomes in the short-term including test scores and disciplinary incidents

Grade Retention Policies and Student Success

Retaining lower-performing students and requiring them to repeat a grade is a relatively common practice across the United States. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 2.3 percent of students in grades kindergarten through eight were retained in grade in 2015. In principle, grade retention gives students a chance to improve on key performance indicators, and if retention is coupled with supplementary support services, these additional resources can also aid the student in catching up and achieving grade-level proficiency. School districts facing decisions on whether to retain students are left to balance these mixed findings while following state grade retention rules, making the implementation of retention policies a relatively complex issue. In this policy brief report, we examine the student retention policy of one of MAPLE’s partner school districts. Making use of historical individual-level data and prior retention policies that allowed for summer retest opportunities, we explore systematic correlations between specific policy characteristics and student outcomes in the short-term including test scores and disciplinary incidents.https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/gpl_reports/1026/thumbnail.jp

Coastal management in Australia

The coast is one of our most valuable assets but how is it being treated and what is being done to look after it? Coastal Management in Australia is the first book to provide a comprehensive overview of this important subject. Interesting case studies are used to illustrate human impact on coastal processes as well as demonstrating the global significance of the coast and the international imperative to manage it properly. Coastal Management in Australia introduces the background to the various coastal management systems operating in Australia and illustrates these with ‘real world’ examples from the different states and territories. Since this book was first published yet another parliamentary inquiry has been added to some 30 years of national inquiries into coastal management, with further calls for national co-ordination. In addition, the Australian government has focused attention on the potential risks of climate change for the Australian coast. Both authors have national and international coastal expertise; significant academic teaching experience in coastal processes and coastal management; coastal planning and policy skills; and have extensive government expertise in coastal management.Nick Harvey and Brian Cato

Improving temperature‐based predictions of the timing of flowering in cotton

Key management recommendations for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) management require estimates of the timing of crop phenology. Most commonly growing day degree (DD) (thermal time) approaches are used. Currently, across many cotton production regions, there is no consistent approach to predicting first square and flower timing. Day degree approaches vary considerably, with base thresholds different (12.0–15.6 °C) with no consistency using an optimum temperature threshold (i.e., temperature where development ceases to increase). As cotton is grown in variable and changing climates, and cultivars change, there is a need to ensure the accuracy of this approach for predicting timing of flowering for assisting cotton management. In this study new functions to predict first square and first flower were developed and validated using data collected in multiple seasons and regions (Australia and the United States). Earlier controlled environment studies that monitored crop development were used to assess in more detail how temperatures were affecting early cotton development. New DD functions developed predicted first square and first flower better than the existing Australian and U.S. approaches. The best performing functions had base temperatures like those of existing U.S. functions (15.6 °C) and an optimum threshold temperature of 32.0 °C. New universal DD targets for first square (343 DD [°C]) and first flower (584 DD) were developed. Controlled environment studies supported this base temperature outcome; however, it was less clear that 32.0 °C was the optimum threshold temperature from these data. Precise predictions of cotton development will facilitate accurate growth stage assessments and hence better cotton management decisions

Electron transport and anisotropy of the upper critical magnetic field in a Ba0.68K0.32Fe2As2 single crystals

Early work on the iron-arsenide compounds supported the view, that a reduced dimensionality might be a necessary prerequisite for high-Tc superconductivity. Later, however, it was found that the zero-temperature upper critical magnetic field, Hc2(0), for the 122 iron pnictides is in fact rather isotropic. Here, we report measurements of the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity, \Gamma(T), in Ba0.5K0.5Fe2As2 and Ba0.68K0.32Fe2As2 single crystals in zero magnetic field and for Ba0.68K0.32Fe2As2 as well in static and pulsed magnetic fields up to 60 T. We find that the resistivity of both compounds in zero field is well described by an exponential term due to inter-sheet umklapp electron-phonon scattering between light electrons around the M point to heavy hole sheets at the \Gamma point in reciprocal space. From our data, we construct an H-T phase diagram for the inter-plane (H || c) and in-plane (H || ab) directions for Ba0.68K0.32Fe2As2. Contrary to published data for underdoped 122 FeAs compounds, we find that Hc2(T) is in fact anisotropic in optimally doped samples down to low temperatures. The anisotropy parameter, {\gamma} = Habc2/Hcc2, is about 2.2 at Tc. For both field orientations we find a concave curvature of the Hc2 lines with decreasing anisotropy and saturation towards lower temperature. Taking into account Pauli spin paramagnetism we perfectly can describe Hc2(T) and its anisotropy.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

The transcription factor Zeb2 regulates development of conventional and plasmacytoid DCs by repressing Id2

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (DCs [pDCs]) develop from pre-pDCs, whereas two lineages of conventional DCs (cDCs; cDC1s and cDC2s) develop from lineage-committed pre-cDCs. Several transcription factors (TFs) have been implicated in regulating the development of pDCs (E2-2 and Id2) and cDC1s (Irf8, Id2, and Batf3); however, those required for the early commitment of pre-cDCs toward the cDC2 lineage are unknown. Here, we identify the TF zinc finger E box-binding homeobox 2 (Zeb2) to play a crucial role in regulating DC development. Zeb2 was expressed from the pre-pDC and pre-cDC stage onward and highly expressed in mature pDCs and cDC2s. Mice conditionally lacking Zeb2 in CD11c(+) cells had a cell-intrinsic reduction in pDCs and cDC2s, coupled with an increase in cDC1s. Conversely, mice in which CD11c(+) cells overexpressed Zeb2 displayed a reduction in cDC1s. This was accompanied by altered expression of Id2, which was up-regulated in cDC2s and pDCs from conditional knock-out mice. Zeb2 chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed Id2 to be a direct target of Zeb2. Thus, we conclude that Zeb2 regulates commitment to both the cDC2 and pDC lineages through repression of Id2

‘Care Co-ordinator In My Pocket’. A Feasibility study of Mobile-Assessment and Therapy for Psychosis (TechCare).

Objectives: The research aimed to examine the acceptability and feasibility of a mobile phone Application (App) based intervention ‘TechCare’, for individuals with psychosis in the North West of England. The main objectives were to determine whether appropriate individuals could be identified and recruited to the study and whether the TechCare App would be an acceptable intervention for individuals with psychosis. Methods: This was a mixed methods feasibility study, consisting of a test-run and feasibility evaluation of the TechCare App intervention. Setting: Early Intervention Services for psychosis, within an NHS Trusts in the North West of England. Participants: Sixteen participants (Test-run n=4, feasibility study n=12) aged between 18-65, recruited from the East, Central and North Lancashire Early Intervention Service (EIS). Intervention: A 6-week intervention, with the TechCare App assessing participants’ symptoms and responses in real-time and providing a personalised guided self-help based psychological intervention based on the principles of CBT. Results: A total of 83.33% (n=10) of participants completed the 6-week feasibility study, with 70% of completers achieving the set compliance threshold of ≥33% engagement with the TechCare App system. Analysis of the qualitative data suggested that participants held the view that the TechCare was both an acceptable and feasible means of delivering interventions in real-time. Conclusion: Innovative digital clinical technologies such as the TechCare App may have the potential to increase access to psychological interventions, reduce health inequality, and promote self-management with a real-time intervention, through enabling access to mental health resources in a stigma-free, evidence-based, and time-independent manner. Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0243961

The Beauty and the Abuse: A handbook on relationships and emotions in Academia

This handbook encourages dialogue and reflexivity on human relationships and emotions in academic environments. Fifteen vignettes inspired by real stories are presented. These narratives explore the light and shade of how love, friendship, eroticism, power, sexism, harassment and gendered academic identities and cultures shape our daily working lives. This intervention tool has been designed to be used in workshops, seminars and other forms of academic gatherings. It can also be used and shared freely for information and inspiration among individual academics, in mentoring programs and as an input for competence development of academic leaders and managers. The document includes reflexive questions, a workshop pedagogy and a thematic list of recommended resources

TechCare: Mobile-assessment and therapy for psychosis: An intervention for clients within the early intervention service

In the UK, mental illness is a major source of disease burden costing in the region of £105 billion pounds. mHealth is a novel and emerging field in psychiatric and psychological care for the treatment of mental health difficulties such as psychosis