Intentions and Implementation of the Professional Development and Appraisal System in Texas

The purpose of this study was to describe the intentions of the designers of the Professional Development and Appraisal System (PDAS) in Texas and the perceptions of teachers regarding its implementation. Information for the study was gathered in two phases using two methodologies. The first was a semi-structured interview with four expert informants instrumental in the design and implementation of the PDAS at the state level. The second component of the study was conducted with teachers using a 37-item Likert survey. The population for this phase of the study was 150 elementary and 150 secondary teachers chosen randomly from three school districts in North Central Texas. The districts were selected to represent a variety of sizes in regard to student population and represent diverse student population characteristics and socioeconomic levels. Data from the semi-structured interviews and the returned surveys were analyzed to determine the designers' intentions and areas of emphasis and to describe the alignment the teachers' perceptions and the designers' intentions. Quantitative data gathered from the surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics as well as a correlation and function analysis and analysis based on a Cronbach alpha coefficient. The analysis of data revealed the following: 1. Teachers perceived that the implementation of the PDAS has a high level of effect in the areas of learner-centered instruction; classroom management; support for all students; the professional growth of teachers; communication; learning application; and, TAAS improvement. 2. Teachers' perceptions were not affected by years of experience. 3. Teachers' perceptions were not affected by their field of instruction. One implication of this study is that the final design represents the intentions of designers, although the area of student achievement is not weighted as heavily in teachers' evaluations as was originally intended. Furthermore, education leaders in Texas may conclude that teachers perceive a high level of impact upon their classroom practices as a result of implementation of the PDAS instrument. If future research reveals that the perceived impact is accurate and that classroom practices of teachers did change as a result of the instrument's implementation to the degree perceived, then this is a model for policy implementation at the state level that is extremely effective. Furthermore, additional researchers may investigate the link between classroom practices and student achievement. This research study is a first step toward describing effective, replicable practices

Elementary teachers' conceptions of mathematics staff development and their roles as workshop leaders

This study was designed to investigate the effects on elementary teachers when they assumed roles as mathematics workshop leaders. The subjects were 45 elementary teachers who participated in Statistics Educators Institutes (SEIs) at five university sites in North Carolina during spring and summer of 1994. The SEIs were designed to prepare the teachers to become workshop leaders in TEACH-STAT, a professional development program designed to improve instruction of statistical concepts for elementary children. Three survey instruments comprised of Likert-type and open-ended items were used to collect information about teachers' (a) conceptions of effective staff development and teaching adults, (b) pedagogical content knowledge, and (c) concerns about TEACHSTAT and their roles as change facilitators. Each survey was administered three times: (a) before the SEI, (b) at the conclusion of the SEI but before the teachers taught a TEACH-STAT workshop, and (c) after teaching a two-week summer TEACH-STAT workshop. Interviews conducted with some participants at the same three times provided additional information for four case studies

A Dietary-Wide Association Study (DWAS) of Environmental Metal Exposure in US Children and Adults

Background: A growing body of evidence suggests that exposure to toxic metals occurs through diet but few studies have comprehensively examined dietary sources of exposure in US populations. Purpose: Our goal was to perform a novel dietary-wide association study (DWAS) to identify specific dietary sources of lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic exposure in US children and adults. Methods: We combined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with data from the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Intakes Converted to Retail Commodities Database to examine associations between 49 different foods and environmental metal exposure. Using blood and urinary biomarkers for lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic, we compared sources of dietary exposure among children to that of adults. Results: Diet accounted for more of the variation in mercury and arsenic than lead and cadmium. For instance we estimate 4.5% of the variation of mercury among children and 10.5% among adults is explained by diet. We identified a previously unrecognized association between rice consumption and mercury in a US study population – adjusted for other dietary sources such as seafood, an increase of 10 g/day of rice consumption was associated with a 4.8% (95% CI: 3.6, 5.2) increase in blood mercury concentration. Associations between diet and metal exposure were similar among children and adults, and we recapitulated other known dietary sources of exposure. Conclusion: Utilizing this combination of data sources, this approach has the potential to identify and monitor dietary sources of metal exposure in the US population

Specialized Literacy Professionals as Literacy Leaders: Results of a National Survey

This large-scale national survey of specialized literacy professionals was designed to answer questions about responsibilities, including leadership, and preparation for these roles. Questionnaires, completed by over 2,500 respondents, indicated that respondents had multiple responsibilities that included both instruction of struggling readers and support for teachers. Four distinct role-groups were identified: instructional/literacy coaches, reading/literacy specialists, reading teachers/interventionists, and supervisors. The findings indicated a need for more precise definitions of the roles of these professionals and for preparation programs to include experiences that address the tasks required. Themes discussed included: roles have changed and require more focus on leadership, specialists must be nimble, and they require more in-depth preparation to handle the leadership demands of their positions

Implementation of the national antimicrobial stewardship competencies for UK undergraduate healthcare professional education within undergraduate pharmacy programmes: a survey of UK schools of pharmacy.

Pharmacists play a key role in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). Consensus-based national AMS competencies for undergraduate healthcare professionals in the UK reflect the increasing emphasis on competency-based healthcare professional education. However, the extent to which these are included within undergraduate pharmacy education programmes in the UK is unknown. To explore which of the AMS competencies are delivered, including when and at which level, within UK undergraduate MPharm programmes. A cross-sectional online questionnaire captured the level of study of the MPharm programme in which each competency was taught, the method of delivery and assessment of AMS education, and examples of student feedback. Ten institutions completed the survey (33% response rate). No institution reported covering all 54 AMS competencies and 5 of these were taught at half or fewer of the institutions. Key gaps were identified around taking samples, communication, outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy and surgical prophylaxis. The minimum time dedicated to AMS teaching differed between institutions (range 9–119 h), teaching was generally through didactic methods, and assessment was generally through knowledge recall and objective structured clinical examinations. Feedback from students suggests they find AMS and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to be complex yet important topics. UK schools of pharmacy should utilize the competency framework to identify gaps in their AMS, AMR and infection teaching. To prepare newly qualified pharmacists to be effective at delivering AMS and prescribing antimicrobials, schools of pharmacy should utilize more simulated environments and clinical placements for education and assessment of AMS

Developing a competency-based approach to facilitate teaching and learning of antimicrobial stewardship as part of environmental sustainability in higher education.

The environmental impact of the inappropriate use of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is recognised by global organisations, such as the World Health Organisation and the European Union. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is one strategy to promote appropriate use of antimicrobials to minimise AMR and is a priority for the NHS to ensure sustainable prescribing. It is therefore imperative to support and empower future health care professionals by providing them with the knowledge to be leaders in the field of AMS. National consensus-based competencies for teaching AMS to undergraduate healthcare professionals in the UK were launched in 2018. This generic framework includes competencies relating to specific aspects of antimicrobial prescribing and infection control, and also emphasizes the importance of collaborative interprofessional working. The aim of this project is to determine which AMS competencies are required to be met by student pharmacists. This pedagogic approach will provide a guiding tool for curricula development, and will allow identification of gaps and strengths within the undergraduate pharmacy curriculum. To enable the development of a UK-wide national AMS competency framework specifically for student pharmacists, a working group of academics and pharmacy practitioners with expertise in AMS was set up in September 2022. The diverse backgrounds of group members provide a healthy mix of ideas, with academics informing the group of what may be achievable within the constraints and professional requirements of the pharmacy curriculum, and pharmacy practitioners providing input into essential AMS competencies for early-career pharmacists. Student pharmacists from a national organisation are being invited to join the group to encourage co-designing of this curriculum. Considering the UN commitment to act on global antimicrobial resistance and the NHS Sustainable Development management plan, this project is timely and of great importance to support development of future pharmacists as leaders in environmental sustainability

Residual Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Type 1 RNA and DNA in Lymph Nodes and HIV RNA in Genital Secretions and in Cerebrospinal Fluid after Suppression of Viremia for 2 Years

Residual viral replication persists in a significant proportion of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients receiving potent antiretroviral therapy. To determine the source of this virus, levels of HIV RNA and DNA from lymphoid tissues and levels of viral RNA in serum, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and genital secretions in 28 patients treated for ⩽2.5 years with indinavir, zidovudine, and lamivudine were examined. Both HIV RNA and DNA remained detectable in all lymph nodes. In contrast, HIV RNA was not detected in 20 of 23 genital secretions or in any of 13 CSF samples after 2 years of treatment. HIV envelope sequence data from plasma and lymph nodes from 4 patients demonstrated sequence divergence, which suggests varying degrees of residual viral replication in 3 and absence in 1 patient. In patients receiving potent antiretroviral therapy, the greatest virus burden may continue to be in lymphoid tissues rather than in central nervous system or genitourinary compartment

Developing a competency-based approach to facilitate teaching and learning of antimicrobial stewardship as part of environmental sustainability in higher education

Presented at the HETL 2023 conferenceThe environmental impact of the inappropriate use of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is recognised by global organisations such as the World Health Organisation and the European Union. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is one strategy to promote appropriate use of antimicrobials to minimise AMR and is a priority for the NHS to ensure sustainable prescribing. It is therefore imperative to support and empower future health care professionals by providing them with the knowledge to be leaders in the field of AMS. National consensus-based competencies for teaching AMS to undergraduate healthcare professionals in the UK were launched 2018. This generic framework includes competencies relating to specific aspects of antimicrobial prescribing, infection control and emphasizes the importance of collaborative interprofessional working. The aim of this project is to determine which AMS competencies are required to be met by student pharmacists. This pedagogic approach will provide a guiding tool for curricula development and will allow identification of gaps and strengths within the undergraduate pharmacy curriculum. To enable the development of a UK-wide national AMS competency framework specifically for student pharmacists, a working group of academics and pharmacy practitioners with expertise in AMS was set up in September 2022. The diverse background of group members allows a healthy mix of ideas with academics informing the group of what may be achievable within the constraints and professional requirements of the pharmacy curriculum, and pharmacy practitioners providing input into essential AMS competencies for early career pharmacists. Student pharmacists from a national organisation are being invited to join the group to encourage co-designing of this curriculum. Considering the UN commitment to act on global antimicrobial resistance and the NHS Sustainable Development management plan, this project is timely and of great importance to support development of future pharmacists as leaders in environmental sustainability

From problems in the North to the problematic North : Northern devolution through the lens of history

Current debates about Northern English cities and their role in national economic strategies cannot be read simply through the lens of contemporary politics. We therefore take the Northern Powerhouse as our starting point in a chapter which traces a long history of policy and planning discourses about the North of England. We use David Russell’s chronology of key historical moments in which Northern English cities hold a particular charge in cultural narratives of the nation to guide our analysis of contemporaneous tensions in debates about planning and governance. A focus on representations about the North of England over the course of the last two centuries reveals four interlocking themes: namely the role of London in directing debates about the North; a tension between political and spatial approaches to planning; the characterisation of cities in the North of England as intrinsically problematic places; and the continued issue of poverty in these cities