Mentor Perspectives on Effective Mentoring for Beginning Elementary School Teachers

The attrition of beginning teachers is an ongoing problem for public schools as it impacts campus moral, results in economic losses, and maintains the number of newly-hired teachers. Although induction programs for beginning teachers have been found effective in reducing novice teacher attrition, funding for many induction programs have been eliminated due to budget constraints, leaving local school systems with limited support of the mentors and no consistency as to expectations or outcomes. Compounding this problem is that little research has examined what is most successful and supportive for mentors to be able to function most effectively. Guided by Knowles\u27 theory of andragogy, this qualitative study examined the perceptions of experienced mentors about training and ongoing support. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 10 experienced mentor teachers from 4 elementary schools who were of various ages, subject areas, and years of experience. The interview data were coded for key words, repetitive phrases, and analyzed for common themes. Findings revealed that the mentors at the study site valued professional development, respect among participants, and ongoing collaboration. The resulting project was a mentor teacher training program for the study district that incorporated the study findings by focusing on how to best support novice teachers through respectful collaboration. Positive social change implications include providing the study district with a research-based training for teacher mentors which might create a stronger new teacher mentor program and ultimately reduce the attrition of beginning teachers

Lake Padden Monitoring Project June -- December 2011 Final Rep

The Lake Padden monitoring project was initiated in 2011 by the citizens group, People for Lake Padden (P4LP), to provide an intensive water quality study of Lake Padden. Water samples were collected between June and December 2011 by Andrew Majeske, a student intern working with the Institute for Watershed Studies (IWS) and the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA). The goals of our study are to identify any apparent problems with the current conditions of Lake Padden, compare our results with historical information, begin to establish baseline data, determine to what degree stratification occurs, and education and involve volunteers and policymakers in the community

Common variants at 12p11, 12q24, 9p21, 9q31.2 and in ZNF365 are associated with breast cancer risk for BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 mutation carriers

Abstract Introduction Several common alleles have been shown to be associated with breast and/or ovarian cancer risk for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. Recent genome-wide association studies of breast cancer have identified eight additional breast cancer susceptibility loci: rs1011970 (9p21, CDKN2A/B), rs10995190 (ZNF365), rs704010 (ZMIZ1), rs2380205 (10p15), rs614367 (11q13), rs1292011 (12q24), rs10771399 (12p11 near PTHLH) and rs865686 (9q31.2). Methods To evaluate whether these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with breast cancer risk for BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers, we genotyped these SNPs in 12,599 BRCA1 and 7,132 BRCA2 mutation carriers and analysed the associations with breast cancer risk within a retrospective likelihood framework. Results Only SNP rs10771399 near PTHLH was associated with breast cancer risk for BRCA1 mutation carriers (per-allele hazard ratio (HR) = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.81 to 0.94, P-trend = 3 × 10-4). The association was restricted to mutations proven or predicted to lead to absence of protein expression (HR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.90, P-trend = 3.1 × 10-5, P-difference = 0.03). Four SNPs were associated with the risk of breast cancer for BRCA2 mutation carriers: rs10995190, P-trend = 0.015; rs1011970, P-trend = 0.048; rs865686, 2df-P = 0.007; rs1292011 2df-P = 0.03. rs10771399 (PTHLH) was predominantly associated with estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer for BRCA1 mutation carriers (HR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.90, P-trend = 4 × 10-5) and there was marginal evidence of association with ER-negative breast cancer for BRCA2 mutation carriers (HR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.62 to 1.00, P-trend = 0.049). Conclusions The present findings, in combination with previously identified modifiers of risk, will ultimately lead to more accurate risk prediction and an improved understanding of the disease etiology in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers

Jennifer Gross interview

Webcast file name: gross_feb25_2014Date: February 25, 2014Voice of Literacy host, Dr. Betsy Baker, interviews Dr. Jennifer Gross, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan

Inclusion of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Cultural Competence in Higher Education Healthcare Programs: A Scoping Review

Purpose: Lack of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) cultural competence in healthcare providers contributes to poor health outcomes in individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more (LGBTQIA+). However, SOGI is often overlooked in healthcare education. Existing research shows educational programs in the nursing, medical, and pharmacy professions are incorporating cultural competence training into the curricula. Few studies have explored how SOGI cultural competence is incorporated into occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech-language pathology (SLP) curricula. Clear guidelines for training on SOGI cultural competence are lacking in these professions. It is important to identify how OT, PT, and SLP educational programs are preparing students to provide culturally competent care to LGBTQIA+ individuals. This scoping review summarizes existing research on this topic and identifies gaps in the literature. Method: A scoping review methodological framework (Arksey & O’Malley, 2005; Levac et al., 2010) was used to search six databases. Descriptive numerical summary and qualitative analysis were used to summarize and interpret the results. Results: A total of 1,091 articles were included in the original search. After the initial title and abstract screening, 55 articles remained. In total, nine articles met the inclusion criteria for this scoping review. Quantitative results describe variation in study participants, SOGI populations, the type and purpose of training, and outcome measures used. Qualitative themes related to SOGI cultural competence include assessment of student and faculty knowledge, and the perceptions and evaluation of course content. Gaps in the literature include long-term changes in knowledge, skills, and dispositions of students; the need for clinical workshops, the quality of self-report in education, outcomes of training programs, and effectiveness of voice training for transgender clients. Conclusions: The benefits of including SOGI cultural competence in the healthcare curricula include increased student knowledge, confidence, sensitivity, cultural competence, and improved attitudes toward LGBTQIA+ individuals. Additional research is needed to develop and standardize training on SOGI cultural competence in the OT, PT, and SLP curricula

Inclusion of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Cultural Competence in Higher Education Healthcare Programs: A Scoping Review

Abstract Purpose: Lack of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) cultural competence in healthcare providers contributes to poor health outcomes in individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more (LGBTQIA+). However, SOGI is often overlooked in healthcare education. Existing research shows educational programs in the nursing, medical, and pharmacy professions are incorporating cultural competence training into the curricula. Few studies have explored how SOGI cultural competence is incorporated into occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech-language pathology (SLP) curricula. Clear guidelines for training on SOGI cultural competence are lacking in these professions. It is important to identify how OT, PT, and SLP educational programs are preparing students to provide culturally competent care to LGBTQIA+ individuals. This scoping review summarizes existing research on this topic and identifies gaps in the literature. Method: A scoping review methodological framework (Arksey & O’Malley, 2005; Levac et al., 2010) was used to search six databases. Descriptive numerical summary and qualitative analysis were used to summarize and interpret the results. Results: A total of 1,091 articles were included in the original search. After the initial title and abstract screening, 55 articles remained. In total, nine articles met the inclusion criteria for this scoping review. Quantitative results describe variation in study participants, SOGI populations, the type and purpose of training, and outcome measures used. Qualitative themes related to SOGI cultural competence include assessment of student and faculty knowledge, and the perceptions and evaluation of course content. Gaps in the literature include long-term changes in knowledge, skills, and dispositions of students; the need for clinical workshops, the quality of self-report in education, outcomes of training programs, and effectiveness of voice training for transgender clients. Conclusions: The benefits of including SOGI cultural competence in the healthcare curricula include increased student knowledge, confidence, sensitivity, cultural competence, and improved attitudes toward LGBTQIA+ individuals. Additional research is needed to develop and standardize training on SOGI cultural competence in the OT, PT, and SLP curricula