Current practices in preschool assessment among school psychologists.

Due to the impact of Public Law 99-457, many school psychologists will become increasingly involved in the psychological assessment of preschoolers. Since the law does not specify what assessment practices should be followed, current practices vary according to the setting, employer and practitioner. This study addresses the issue of an information need by establishing a database on current assessment practices. Information provided by school psychologists currently involved in the assessment of preschool children in public school settings would help define techniques specifically designed for this age group. To determine current preschool assessment practices, a survey was conducted of 100 school psychologists who work with preschool children enrolled in public school programs for early intervention in the New England region. Site visits to 12 preschool programs in Massachusetts and Connecticut were conducted to interview school psychologists regarding their preschool assessment practices. The survey endeavored to ascertain what assessment techniques are employed, which instruments are perceived to be most effective, and what the factors are that influence the selection of preschool assessment instruments. The role of the school psychologist as a member of an early intervention team was also examined. Results indicated a great variety of tools/techniques in use for assessment. The most frequently used tests/techniques were medical and developmental history, file review, interviews, classroom observation and norm-referenced tests; in sum, preferred measures sample a broader range of behaviors and are more useful in designing effective educational interventions. School psychologists, however, still need more knowledge of curriculum-based measures and dynamic assessment procedures. Results also indicated that tests are selected on the basis of their effectiveness. The most common rationale for selecting a particular tool cited was the match between referral question and intervention. The role of the school psychologist consisted primarily of assessment for classification/placement decisions. School psychologists and teachers were found to have the highest levels of involvement in assessment, followed by parental participation. Implications of the survey are discussed in terms of improving preschool assessment practices, as well as with respect to training of school psychologists

The Economic Impacts of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative on Ten Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States

Assesses outcomes of the first U.S. market-based program to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from power plants, including impact on electricity markets, power companies' costs, and consumer prices; use of auction proceeds; and states' economic benefits

NASA/contractor partnership on the second TDRSS ground terminal program: Breaking barriers

The Second Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) Ground Terminal (STGT) Program from its technical and programmatic backgrounds is introduced and then several techniques to enhance communication and empower the NASA Contractor team are described. A major factor in our success was an approach used to shorten the time span of the Critical Design Review phase. This approach is described. The relationships involving NASA's O&M contractor are discussed. A set of lessons learned is included

Dual-Campus Subject Librarians at University of Central Florida

A new dual-campus subject librarian program is being rolled out at the University of Central Florida (UCF) whereby several subject librarians divide their time between two campuses, the legacy main campus in East Orlando and the new Downtown Orlando Campus. As of Fall 2019, four UCF subject librarians regularly travel to the new Downtown Campus to provide library support for academic programs, faculty, and students who recently relocated to the new facility. Dual-campus subject librarians are also maintaining support services for their assigned academic programs that remain at the UCF Main Campus. This article provides information and reflections about how the dual-campus subject librarian model operates and how it impacts staff duties from two perspectives. The first perspective is from the UCF Social Sciences subject librarian, who supports graduate and undergraduate programs in The School of Public Administration and Public Affairs graduate programs at the Downtown Campus, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs in Politics, Security & International Affairs and Criminal Justice at the Main Campus. The second perspective is from the Main Campus Head of the Research and Information Services Department, who supervises the dual-campus subject librarians

Subject Librarian Initiative at the University of Central Florida Libraries: Collaboration Amongst Research and Information Services, Acquisitions and Collection Services, and the Office of Scholarly Communication

At the University of Central Florida Libraries, the Research and Information Services Department, the Acquisitions and Collection Services Department, and the Office of Scholarly Communication are collaborating to create and support a new Subject Librarian Service Model that focuses on proactive outreach to faculty and students. Since January 2013, these three units have worked closely together to emphasize the importance of Subject Librarians becoming more fully integrated into the university infrastructure through increased subject liaison roles. This collaboration has involved realigning, refining, and emphasizing the importance of the Subject Librarians’ academic department and program assignments and training the librarians to perform informed outreach to advance collection development; scholarly communication; and faculty/student teaching, learning, and research

East Meets West: The Japan Association of National University Libraries (JANUL) and the University of Central Florida (UCF) Exchange Librarians and Learning Commons Information

Is your library contemplating an international librarian exchange? Such exchanges not only increase participants’ understanding of other cultures, they also challenge participants to look at their own cultures from a new perspective. Two academic librarians, Yuka Taniguchi from Kobe University1 (Japan) and Barbara Tierney from the University of Central Florida2 discuss their visits to each other’s libraries in 2016–2017 to share information about their respective learning commons and outreach programs. This article focuses on the lessons learned for each librarian and practical tips on how to accomplish a successful academic library foreign exchange

Reimagining Research Services as Part of Major Academic Library Renovations or Other Changes: A Tale of Two Research Departments (University of Central Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University)

Two academic library research service managers discuss changes and innovations that they have coordinated in their respective libraries: University of Central Florida serving 60,000+ students (http:// library .ucf .edu /21st/) and Florida Gulf Coast University serving 15,000+ students (http:// library .fgcu .edu /admin /renewal .html) due to major building renovations or other changes that their respective libraries are conducting. These changes and innovations include significantly downsizing print reference and other collections, relocating service points, reconfiguring public services, rethinking staffing patterns, adjusting subject librarian face-to-face activities, stepping up online services, communicating with stakeholders, and keeping students and faculty in the loop so that their voices are heard and their needs met

Strategies to improve retention in randomised trials: a Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To quantify the effect of strategies to improve retention in randomised trials.<p></p> Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.<p></p> Data sources Sources searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, DARE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, C2-SPECTR, ERIC, PreMEDLINE, Cochrane Methodology Register, Current Controlled Trials metaRegister, WHO trials platform, Society for Clinical Trials (SCT) conference proceedings and a survey of all UK clinical trial research units.<p></p> Review: methods Included trials were randomised evaluations of strategies to improve retention embedded within host randomised trials. The primary outcome was retention of trial participants. Data from trials were pooled using the fixed-effect model. Subgroup analyses were used to explore the heterogeneity and to determine whether there were any differences in effect by the type of strategy.<p></p> Results: 38 retention trials were identified. Six broad types of strategies were evaluated. Strategies that increased postal questionnaire responses were: adding, that is, giving a monetary incentive (RR 1.18; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.28) and higher valued incentives (RR 1.12; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.22). Offering a monetary incentive, that is, an incentive given on receipt of a completed questionnaire, also increased electronic questionnaire response (RR 1.25; 95% CI 1.14 to 1.38). The evidence for shorter questionnaires (RR 1.04; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.08) and questionnaires relevant to the disease/condition (RR 1.07; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.14) is less clear. On the basis of the results of single trials, the following strategies appeared effective at increasing questionnaire response: recorded delivery of questionnaires (RR 2.08; 95% CI 1.11 to 3.87); a ‘package’ of postal communication strategies (RR 1.43; 95% CI 1.22 to 1.67) and an open trial design (RR 1.37; 95% CI 1.16 to 1.63). There is no good evidence that the following strategies impact on trial response/retention: adding a non-monetary incentive (RR=1.00; 95% CI 0.98 to 1.02); offering a non-monetary incentive (RR=0.99; 95% CI 0.95 to 1.03); ‘enhanced’ letters (RR=1.01; 95% CI 0.97 to 1.05); monetary incentives compared with offering prize draw entry (RR=1.04; 95% CI 0.91 to 1.19); priority postal delivery (RR=1.02; 95% CI 0.95 to 1.09); behavioural motivational strategies (RR=1.08; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.24); additional reminders to participants (RR=1.03; 95% CI 0.99 to 1.06) and questionnaire question order (RR=1.00, 0.97 to 1.02). Also based on single trials, these strategies do not appear effective: a telephone survey compared with a monetary incentive plus questionnaire (RR=1.08; 95% CI 0.94 to 1.24); offering a charity donation (RR=1.02, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.32); sending sites reminders (RR=0.96; 95% CI 0.83 to 1.11); sending questionnaires early (RR=1.10; 95% CI 0.96 to 1.26); longer and clearer questionnaires (RR=1.01, 0.95 to 1.07) and participant case management by trial assistants (RR=1.00; 95% CI 0.97 to 1.04).<p></p> Conclusions: Most of the trials evaluated questionnaire response rather than ways to improve participants return to site for follow-up. Monetary incentives and offers of monetary incentives increase postal and electronic questionnaire response. Some strategies need further evaluation. Application of these results would depend on trial context and follow-up procedures.<p></p&gt

Behavioral niche partitioning in a sympatric tiger beetle assemblage and implications for the endangered Salt Creek tiger beetle

How behavioral patterns are related to niche partitioning is an important question in understanding how closely related species within ecological communities function. Behavioral niche partitioning associated with thermoregulation is well documented in tiger beetles as a group. Co-occurring species of salt flat tiger beetles have adapted many thermoregulatory behaviors to cope with this harsh ecosystem. On first examination these beetles appear to occur in overlapping microhabitats and therefore compete for resources. To determine if behavioral niche partitioning is allowing multiple species to occur within the same harsh salt flat ecosystem we observed Cicindela nevadica lincolniana, Cicindela circumpicta, Cicindela fulgida, and Cicindela togata between 8:00 h and 21:00 h and recorded all behaviors related to thermoregulation using a digital voice recorder. Results of this study strongly indicate that competition among these species for resources has been reduced by the adaptation of different thermoregulatory behaviors such as spending time in shallow water, avoiding the sun during the hottest parts of the day, and by positioning their body against or away from the soil. The endangered C. n. lincolniana appears to rely most heavily on the shallow water of seeps for their diurnal foraging behavior (potentially limiting their foraging habitat), but with the advantage of allowing foraging during the hottest times of the day when potential competitors are less frequent. Ironically, this association also may help explain C. n. lincolniana’s susceptibility to extinction: beyond the loss of saline wetlands generally, limited seeps and pools even within remaining saline habitat may represent a further habitat limitation within an already limited habitat

Reimagining Research Services’ Outreach to Faculty and Students: A Tale of Two Research Departments (University of Central Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University)

Two academic library research managers discuss innovative outreach strategies that they coordinate in their respective libraries (University of Central Florida serves 68,000+ students; Florida Gulf Coast University serves 15,000+ students) to support faculty and student success for teaching, learning, and research. A poster1 was created to illustrate these strategies.