The Predictive Power of the Index of Consumer Sentiment

consumer sentiment, predictive power, index of consumer sentiment, macroeconomics

The Measurement and Determination of Loanable-Funds Saving

macroeconomics, saving, capital formation, interest

The Power of Pictures: Drawing on Visual Sign-Systems to Teach Inference in Gerstein’s The Man Between Two Towers

The ability to infer while reading is a critical part of meaning-making. Readers who infer go beyond the literal words on the page by adding information to the text and making implicit connections between the text and their prior knowledge (Barr, Blacowicz, Bates, Katz, & Kaufman, 2013). This skill allows them to establish causal relationships between story events, connect the events to their personal experiences, and determine relationships, motivations, and emotions within and between characters. Drawing on dual coding theory and visual literacy principles, the author demonstrates how the lines in the illustrations of The Man Between Two Towers assist the viewer in inferring the main character’s changing emotions. The author details Serafini’s (2013) exposing, exploring, and engaging protocol for introducing children to the principles of visual literacy with picture books and suggests the additional step of “connecting” the visual elements to the story meaning. Such an approach to literature can further children’s ability to make meaning of the text by teaching them to interpret the visual elements, such as line, in picture book illustrations

What’s Next for Literacy Education in Georgia? An Interview with Dr. Caitlin Dooley, Deputy Superintendent, Georgia Department of Education

An interview with Dr. Caitlin Doole

Teacher Turnover in the Coles County Public Elementary Schools of Illinois: 1959-60 Through 1963-64

No abstract provided by author

Teacher Turnover in the Coles County Public Elementary Schools of Illinois: 1959-60 Through 1963-64

No abstract provided by author

Toward a Model of 12-Step Engagement: Predicting Recovery Involvement in Narcotics Anonymous

Substance use disorders (SUDs) affect a significant portion of the population and are noteworthy public health concerns. Mutual help organizations (MHOs) such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are considered evidence-based practices for SUDs. Despite a growing body of research examining mechanisms of change in MHOs, relatively few investigations of 12-step organizations have been theory-driven. Theory-based models of recovery provide a more comprehensive view of the range of individual factors affecting individuals in recovery and how and why they might engage in recovery-related behaviors. Stress and coping theory fills a gap in explaining how improvements occur as a result of MHO recovery engagement from a bio-psycho-social perspective. Although some recovery program-related mechanisms of change in MHOs have proven to be important factors in promoting long-term recovery from SUDs, fewer studies have examined what factors may influence participation in recovery practices. Using a sample of community-based Narcotics Anonymous members from 26 U.S. states, the relationships between stress and engagement in various recovery practices are examined from the perspective of a psychobiological, SUD-specific stress and coping framework. It is hypothesized that the relationship between stress and recovery practice engagement is moderated by abstinence duration, such that individuals at lower levels of abstinence duration would have fewer coping resources to mitigate stress and therefore would evidence a greater association between stress and engagement in higher levels of recovery practices. Results indicated the stress-recovery practice involvement relationship was not moderated by abstinence duration, and stress was not significantly associated with any recovery practices. However, helpfulness of social support received from individuals in recovery, abstinence duration, neuroticism, and substance use severity all significantly predicted recovery practice involvement. Gaining additional understanding of mechanisms that influence recovery involvement will allow clinicians and researchers to enhance interventions and facilitate involvement in beneficial aspects of recovery programs