Will the lessons be learned? Reflections on local authority evaluations and the use of research evidence

Sure Start programmes are complex, community-based initiatives - forerunners of the Children's Centres Initiative - that have been evaluated nationally and locally. Using an in-depth, retrospective case study of an evaluation of one local programme, the authors raise key issues pertinent to both practice and evaluation in the field, highlighting conflicts and dilemmas both within evaluation generally and, specifically, relating to the evaluation of this programme.We illustrate the difficulties placed on local evaluators by the lack of clear structures within which to work, and provide useful lessons as we move forward into the development and evaluations of new services for children and families

Pictures are necessary but not sufficient: Using a range of visual methods to engage users about school design

It has been argued by both educationalists and social researchers that visual methods are particularly appropriate for the investigation of people's experiences of the school environment. The current and expected building work taking place in British schools provides an opportunity for exploration of methods, as well as a need to establish ways to achieve this involvement of a range of school users, including students. This article describes a consultation that was undertaken in a UK secondary school as part of a participatory design process centred on the rebuilding of the school. A range of visual methods, based on photographs and maps, was used to investigate the views of a diverse sample of school users, including students, teachers, technical and support staff and the wider community. Reported here is the experience of using these tools, considering the success of different visually-based methods in engaging a broad cross section of the school community and revealing useful information. Using a range of visual methods allows a complex, but coherent, understanding of the particular school environment to be constructed and developed. It is further argued that such a range of visual and spatial methods is needed to develop appropriate understanding. The study, therefore, contributes to knowledge about specific visual research methods, appreciation of the relationship between tools, and a general methodological understanding of visual methods' utility for developing understanding of the learning environment

Assessment of Cooking Matters Facebook Platform to Promote Healthy Eating Behaviors Among Low-Income Caregivers of Young Children in the United States: A Pilot Study

How best to deliver healthy-eating education through social media among a low-income population remains understudied. To assess the impact of the Cooking Matters (CM) Facebook page on healthy eating behaviors among low-income caregivers, we conducted a pre–post survey of new CM Facebook followers in early 2020. A convenience sample was recruited at baseline from WICShopper app users and the CM Facebook page. The recruited sample included 397 low-income caregivers of a child younger than 6 who never followed CM Facebook. Among the baseline caregivers, 184 completed the follow-up survey. Paired t-test and McNemar–Bowker tests were conducted to compare the outcomes pre- and post-following CM Facebook. A binary indicator was developed to measure whether the outcomes were improved (1 = Improved; 0 = Not improved). Multi-variable logistic regressions were applied to examine the relationship between whether the outcome was improved with reference to the baseline socio-demographics. No significant differences were detected between pre and post outcomes overall (p \u3e 0.05), except improvement in feeding healthy meals within the budget available (p \u3c 0.05). However, improvement in select outcomes was more significant in men and single-parent households. The CM Facebook page could be an important platform to influence low-income caregivers of young children

ARTIMIS Telephone Travel Information Service: Current Use Patterns and User Satisfaction

This report summarizes the results of a phone survey which evaluated the user satisfaction of the telephone traveler information service, ARTIMIS, in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky. Information was also gathered on the users preference for a 3 versus 7 digit access number, use patterns, and user characteristics. The sample was obtained by intercepting calls to the service during Winter 1999. Users rated the service high. Common suggestions for improvements included longer hours of operation and coverage of more roads suggesting the service is valuable to its users. The travelers perceived that they benefited most by avoiding traffic problems, saving time, and reducing frustration. Of the 65% that would be willing to pay for the service, $0.25 was the average maximum payment they would be willing to make. The respondents had been using the service for an average of 13 months and made on average 4.3 calls per week. The 3 digit number, 211, was the most commonly used and recognized access number. Approximately 80 percent of individuals felt they would personally benefit from a nation-wide 3-digit number for travel information. Landline 211 calls result in an extra cost to operators of the system. Although these callers make less frequent calls, they are also more likely to make route or trip changes resulting in a public overall system benefi

A closer look at instructional coaching: lessons from two schools' successful implementations of job-embedded professional development

Professional development is an investment for districts and schools because it aims to positively impact student achievement by increasing the efficacy and performance of teachers. District and school leaders are charged with selecting and implementing adult learning aligned with district and school visions for instruction, in order to provide teachers with innovative, high quality professional development experiences. Instructional coaching has emerged as a popular form of job-embedded professional development in the last decade because it provides teachers with support through modeling, demonstration, observation/feedback, and reflection. This multi-site case study involved closely examining the instructional coaching models of two high schools that have experienced success with coaching as professional development for teachers. The schools were selected because they have implemented instructional coaching as their primary professional development model for more than two consecutive years and attribute gains in student achievement at least in part to their coaching initiatives. The goal of my study was to identify key components and strategies for implementing a successful instructional coaching program. Through interviews of 20 participants, including coaches, principals, and teachers, and reviews of important documents and artifacts, I was able to answer the primary research question of what can be learned from an exemplary implementation model of instructional coaching. To answer the primary research question, I focused on two secondary questions: (a) What are the roles of the key players (principals, coaches, and teachers) in a successful coaching model?, and (b) What are the most important influences in successful coaching programs? This research found that principals must be actively engaged in the instructional coaching process with strong support for the coach/teacher relationship. Strong leadership is vital to the success of coaching initiatives. Coaches must be highly skilled in both pedagogical knowledge and interpersonal relations in order to build strong, trusting relationships with teachers and must build and maintain impeccable systems of communication with the principals and teachers they serve. The coach/teacher relationship should be a partnership where teachers are given voice and choice in the coaching process. This research also substantiates the value of instructional coaching in building strong professional learning communities and teacher leadership through a strong commitment to a culture of open and honest dialogue around teaching and learning. My study has found that job-embedded coaching can be a highly successful initiative to improve teacher practice when implemented strategically

Do Overweight and Obese Individuals Select a “Moderate Intensity” Workload When Asked to Do So?

The purpose of this study was (1) to determine if overweight/obese individuals (age 26–50 y) would self-select moderate exercise intensity when asked to do so and (2) to determine how this self-selected workload compared to exercising at a workload (60% peak aerobic capacity) that is known to provide cardioprotective health benefits. Oxygen consumption (VO2) and energy expenditure were measured in 33 men/women (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2) who completed two 30 min walking bouts: (1) self-selected walking pace on an indoor track and (2) prescribed exercise pace (60% VO2 peak) on a treadmill. The data revealed that (1) the prescribed intensity was 6% higher than the self-selected pace and elicited a higher energy expenditure (P < 0.05) than the self-selected pace (+83 kJ); (2) overweight subjects walked at a slightly lower percentage of VO2 peak than the obese subjects (P < 0.05); (3) men walked at a lower percentage of VO2 peak than the women (P < 0.05). In conclusion when asked to walk at a moderate intensity, overweight/obese individuals tended to select a lower workload in the “moderate intensity” range which could be maintained for 30 min; however, a higher intensity which would be more cardioprotective could not be maintained for 30 min by most individuals

Hurricane-induced rainfall is a stronger predictor of tropical forest damage in Puerto Rico than maximum wind speeds

Projected increases in cyclonic storm intensity under a warming climate will have profound effects on forests, potentially changing these ecosystems from carbon sinks to sources. Forecasting storm impacts on these ecosystems requires consideration of risk factors associated with storm meteorology, landscape structure, and forest attributes. Here we evaluate risk factors associated with damage severity caused by Hurricanes María and Irma across Puerto Rican forests. Using field and remote sensing data, total forest aboveground biomass (AGB) lost to the storms was estimated at 10.44 (±2.33) Tg, ca. 23% of island-wide pre-hurricane forest AGB. Storm-related rainfall was a stronger predictor of forest damage than maximum wind speeds. Soil water storage capacity was also an important risk factor, corroborating the influence of rainfall on forest damage. Expected increases of 20% in hurricane-associated rainfall in the North Atlantic highlight the need to consider how such shifts, together with high speed winds, will affect terrestrial ecosystems