School Climate Development Survey

Over the last twenty-five years the Consortium on Chicago School Research has engaged in systematic study of more than 400 Chicago Public Schools to determine organizational traits that are related to improvement in student learning. This effort was designed to help explain widely divergent levels of student success between very similar schools in the Chicago system. Initial discussions with educators at all levels, reviews of previous research, pilot studies, and field studies led to the identification of five school contextual factors – the 5Essential Supports – determined to be critical to school success: (1) effective leaders, (2) collaborative teachers, (3) involved families, (4) supportive environment, and (5) ambitious instruction. The framework of the 5Essential Supports served as a theoretical basis for a survey effort designed to measures and report on facets of school culture that could then be used by school leaders and practitioners to guide school improvement efforts. Research related to the 5Essential Supports consistently demonstrates a strong relationship between the presence of these supports and gains in student achievement. Led by Dr. James McMillan and Dr. Charol Shakeshaft from VCU’s School of Education, the purpose of this MERC study was (1) to develop a shortened version of the 5Essentials staff climate survey for the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium schools, (2) to pilot test the new survey with teachers and administrators, and (3) to determine effective methods of dissemination to support schools use f the survey data for school improvement purposes. The piloting and validation phase of the study demonstrated that the core constructs underlying the 5Essentials maintained high levels of validity and reliability in the shortened version. MERC also piloted and received feedback from school leaders on formats for reporting school climate results

A family resemblance? The regulation of marriage migration in Europe

This article analyses key aspects of the regulation of entry and stay of spousal migrants in EEA member states. It shows that there are differences of regulation, particularly between states in Eastern and Southern Europe and states in Northern and Western Europe but, in most cases, the amount of divergence is limited. The article connects this ‘family resemblance’ to a broad concept of Europeanisation. Even where there is no binding legal obligation, European legal norms and the practice in other European states largely circumscribe what is possible

The Non-Jurors

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Therapeutic radiographers' perceptions of the barriers and enablers to effective smoking cessation support

Introduction: Tobacco smoking during and post radiotherapy is associated with increased treatment toxicity and increased cancer related mortality. Routine delivery of smoking cessation advice is inconsistent in practice. This study identifies the key barriers and facilitators to the provision of effective smoking cessation conversations in radiotherapy practice. Methods: A baseline questionnaire (n ¼ 43) was used to identify current practice, barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation in radiotherapy and to inform a topic guide for follow up focus groups (n ¼ 5). Ethical approval was obtained through the 4 NHS trusts and the Health Research Authority. Focus group transcription was coded by two researchers. Results: Therapeutic Radiographers initiate health behaviour conversations with patients; there are a number of factors that facilitate the likelihood of a health behaviour conversation; indication that a patient smokes anatomical site and presence of acute effects. Key barriers to smoking cessation provision include; lack of training, limited knowledge, limitations as a result of poor clinical infrastructure, local culture and perceptions that patients do not prioritise smoking cessation during treatment. Conclusion: Therapeutic Radiographers have the motivation to provide smoking cessation advice, however they require further training to develop knowledge and skills in relation to benefits of smoking cessation and cessation strategies. Therapeutic Radiographers also expect that patients will respond negatively to smoking cessation advice, and that this might be damaging to the therapeutic relationship. Departmental culture and trust infrastructure can also significantly inhibit the provision of smoking cessation in radiotherapy practice and further support to implement NICE guidance is required

Water as a Limiting Factor in the Growth of Sweet Clover (M. Alba)

Summary1. Sweet clover (white) will apparently live in the loam soils employed in the present trial with as little moisture as 9 percent of the dry weight of the soil in which it grows. On the clay soil employed in this series sweet clover appeared to cease growth when the percentage of water on the basis of the dry soil approached 11 percent as a minimum. It is thus indicated that even under conditions otherwise identical variations in soil type may produce some variation in the amounts of water necessary for growth of sweet clover. The observation that soil type, regardless of other conditions may furnish a factor influencing water requirement is in substantial agreement with other investigators. Pages 259, 261, 272, 273.2. When the factor of soil type was equalized, it was observed that as the percentage content of moisture in soil was increased, the total amount of water utilized by the plants increased. With increase of moisture content by degrees, in soil from 9 percent, to a maximum of 32 percent, the total water used increased regularly from 6.6 kilos to 79 kilos. Thus in general, sweet clover plants can make some growth with very limited moisture, but if water is available to them they can adapt themselves to use it. Pages 261, 273.3. It is also apparent that the average production of dry matter per plant increases with the total amount of water utilized. Page 261.4. One chief factor in the increase of dry matter of sweet clover produced with the increase of available water was the increase in height of main stems; the extreme height of plant (main stem) was found to increase, with the increase of water available, up to 22 percent of the dry weight of soil. When the percentage of available water was still further increased the corresponding increase in dry matter apparently was produced not by increase in extreme height but by increase in number of stems and branches. Such was the means by which sweet clover plants adapted their manner of growth to the increases in water. Page 273.5. Also in regard to the manner of growth of sweet clover plants as affected by increases in amount of water; it appeared that the average weight of the leaves of plants increased, and that the mean area per leaf increased with increase in the amount of moisture available. This statement is based on measurements made in 1918. Pages 273, 275. 6. It appeared that the average actual water requirement (as indicated by the ratio of grams water used to grams of air-dry tops produced) increased with an increase in the amount of the water available, up to 18 percent of the weight of soil, possibly beyond. In short sweet clover will not only utilize more total water within limits when it becomes available, but also will utilize more water per gram of dry matter up to a maximum. Pages 272, 273.7. The present researches indicate that as an average on all soils the water requirement for sweet clover varies according to the percentage of water available, from 675 to 789. Page 275.8. These figures for water requirement as determined agree substantially with those furnished by Briggs and Shantz, for conditions at Akron, Colorado, they having secured a water requirement of 770. Page 294.9. Sweet clover may be said to have an average water equirement, as compared to plants listed in general; tumble weed with 277 and millet with 310 are among the lowest and brome grass, with 1016, highest in respect to water requirement. Page 294. 10. Previous to beginning the present researches, South Dakota Experiment Station published Bulletin 151, Trials with Sweet Clover as a Field Crop, which indeed may have been the earliest bulletin published giving results with growing, harvesting and feeding the plant in question as a harvested crop. At the beginning of the present researches it was intended to get quantitative information about the capacity of the sweet clover plant to adapt itself to a wide range of cropping conditions. It becomes more apparent that sweet clover possesses that range of adaptability. In spite of some limitations as a crop-plant it may well increase in importance as a farm crop, in South Dakota and throughout the world

Acoustic Emission Monitoring of In-Flight Crack Growth in Air Craft Structures

Purpose of the program is to evaluate acoustic emission (AE) for in-flight detection of fatigue crack growth in aircraft structure. A special AE system was developed and installed on a RAAF Macchi jet trainer. It has been effectively measuring AE from a fatigue crack since August, 1978. Work is continuing to investigate correlation of AE data with crack growth

Duration of untreated psychosis and social function: 1-year follow-up study of first-episode schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: In first-episode schizophrenia, longer duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) predicts poorer outcomes. AIMS: To address whether the relationship between DUP and outcome is a direct causal one or the result of association between symptoms and/or cognitive functioning and social functioning at the same time point. METHOD: Symptoms, social function and cognitive function were assessed in 98 patients with first-episode schizphrenia at presentation and 1 year later. RESULTS: There was no significant clinical difference between participants with short and long DUP at presentation. Linear regression analyses revealed that longer DUP significantly predicted more severe positive and negative symptoms and poorer social function at 1 year, independent of scores at presentation. Path analyses revealed independent direct relationships between DUP and social function, core negative symptoms and positive symptoms. There was no significant association between DUP and cognition. CONCLUSIONS: Longer DUP predicts poor social function independently of symptoms. The findings underline the importance of taking account of the phenomenological overlap between measures of negative symptoms and social function when investigating the effects of DUP