Avoiding a Collision Course in Lesbian and Gay Family Advocacy

PANEL III: REACHING GOALS: CHOOSING STRATEGIES AND ISSUES FOR ADVANCEMEN

Analysis of Technology Plans of Selected Suburban Elementary Schools Within Regional Office of Education/North Cook Intermediate Service Center #1

Technology continues to be a topic of great interest and concern in the educational community. The educational system is responsible for preparing students so that they can function successfully in life and work in the world of today and tomorrow. The interest and concern regarding technology in the educational setting has spread in recent years to include the sectors of business and politics. East Maine School District No. 63, where the author of this study is employed as a Library/Media Specialist, has not developed a formal technology plan as recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education. The purpose of this study was to analyze technology plans emphasizing the major area components of staff development and budget/financial, as well as to provide guidelines for technology plans that would include strong staff development emphasis. This study was designed to assist suburban Chicago elementary school districts in Illinois in designing technology plans, which would allow the districts to compete in the acquisition of technology funding essential in the successful integration of technology into the classrooms. The specific objectives of this study were to: 1. Study, analyze, and evaluate a variety of technology plans; 2. Identify different types of staff development training utilized and the person(s) responsible for the implementation of the staff development training; 3. Provide guidelines for the development of technology plans including effective staff development. Following the author\u27s observation of a Peer Review Process directed by the North Cook Intermediate Service Center #1 and review of the literature and research, technology plans were collected from selected suburban elementary school districts supervised by the Regional Office of Education/North Cook Intermediate Service Center #1 in Cook County, Illinois. The analysis of the technology plans included studying, then ranking all 16 component areas of the Technology Plan Progress Guidelines. Two of the component areas, Table of Contents and Executive Summary, received a ranking of either Yes or No. The Progress Guidelines included four categories for ranking the other 14 component areas. These categories rank from low to high and are identified as follows: Beginning, Emerging, Advancing and Exceeding. Findings indicated that the technology plans were varied in size, depth of information and quality of content. Also, the study revealed that districts were actively revising their existing technology plans. The findings indicated that the majority of the technology plans did not receive a ranking higher than Emerging, with a total of nine plans not meeting minimum criteria as established by the ISBE. Four technology plans were determined to meet or exceed the minimum criteria in all 16 component areas of the Technology Plan Progress Guidelines, as required of technology grant participants by the Illinois State Board of Education, and these four districts could apply competitively for eligible federal and/or state funding. The findings of the study indicated that the component areas of staff development and budget/financial did not receive adequate emphasis in the technology plans

Contracts (1983 Annual Survey of Michigan Law)

During the Survey period, the Michigan Supreme Court decided cases involving mutual mistake, the enforceability of a contractual limitation period, and termination of a licensing agreement. The court of appeals considered implied in fact contract theories, interpretation, the parol evidence rule, and claims for exemplary and mental distress damages for breach of contract. In addition, the court of appeals revisited rejection and acceptance under the Uniform Commercial Code, and decided several cases involving medical malpractice arbitration agreements

Transactional sex work and HIV among women in conflict-affected Northeastern Uganda: a population-based study

Background Armed conflict and the HIV pandemic are significant global health issues. Evidence of the association between armed conflict and HIV infection has been conflicting. Our objective was to examine the role of mediating risk factors, such as engagement in transactional sex work, to elucidate the relation between armed conflict and HIV infection. Methods We used multistage sampling across three Northeastern Ugandan districts to randomly select 605 women aged 13 to 49 to answer cross-sectional surveys from January to May of 2016. We used multivariate logistic regression model with R 4.0.3 to examine if exposure to armed conflict has an indirect effect on reporting having an HIV-positive serostatus through engagement in transactional sex work. Age and district residence were included as covariates. Results Exposure to armed conflict β = .16, SE = .04, p < .05, OR = 1.17, 95% [CI .08, .23] was significantly associated with reporting a HIV-positive serostatus. For each 1-unit increase in exposure to armed conflict (i.e., additional type of armed conflict exposure), there was a 17% increase in the odds of reporting a HIV-positive serostatus. Engagement in transactional sex work was not associated with reporting a HIV-positive serostatus β = .04, SE = .05, p = .37, 95% [CI − .051, .138]. We found district of residence, age, and interaction effects. Conclusions Although exposure to armed was associated with reporting an HIV-positive serostatus, this relationship was not mediated by engagement in transactional sex. Further research is needed on risk factors that mediate this relationship. The likelihood of reporting a HIV-positive serostatus increased with each additional type of exposure to armed conflict. Thus, screening for exposure to multiple traumatic stressors should occur in HIV prevention settings. Healthcare services that are trauma-informed and consider mental distress would likely improve HIV outcomes

Social Inclusion and the Value of Marriage Equality in Massachusetts and the Netherlands

Much of the debate about marriage rights for same-sex couples has focused on material and legal benefits. However, some of the primary benefits of marriage equality for same-sex couples and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people might be psychological. The two studies presented draw on qualitative data from 19 same-sex couples in the Netherlands and 556 people married to same-sex partners in Massachusetts (United States). The right to marry and exercising the right to marry were associated with greater feelings of social inclusion among people in same-sex couples. The Massachusetts data find that White, male, high-income respondents reported greater feelings of inclusion than other groups. Individuals with more accepting families and people with more wedding guests reported more feelings of social inclusion. On a policy level, the social inclusion effect suggests marriage may have significant psychological benefits for same-sex couples