Mandated Reporting and its Effects on the Rate of Reported and Substantiated Child Abuse

State-level data on the rate of reported abuse per 1,000 children, as published in the Children’s Bureau’s Annual Child Maltreatment Report, has been used as a metric to rank and compare states’ performance in child welfare. States wish to understand what the rate of reported abuse per 1,000 children means, what state-specific policies and issues can affect this number, and how to interpret the data to make effective policy decisions. This paper studies the effects of having mandated reporting laws that require all citizens to report reasonable suspicion of abuse to Child Protective Services on a state’s rate of reported abuse per 1,000 children and the rate of substantiated cases. The results of this study find that having mandated reporting laws for all citizens does not affect the rate of reported abuse or the rate of substantiated cases for a state

Breathing Exercises For Every Musician: A Compilation of Breathing Exercises for Beginner Wind Players

Methodology: As a 6th grade band student, I always had difficulty taking in enough air to play my flute. I was always told to take in a deep breath, but never taught how to do so. Breathing can be overlooked in the beginner band classroom, so I decided to do some research and make a compilation of different exercises that all musicians can do

The Challenge of Balance: A Study of the Recent History of the Board of Architecture Review and its Design Standards on the Calhoun Street Corridor in Charleston, South Carolina

Applauded as the United States’ first city to create a historic preservation ordinance, Charleston, South Carolina boasts a strong tradition in architectural protection. Presiding over this process of design review and its connected provisions, the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) evaluates any new construction, additions, and changes to any property visible in the public-right-of-way that falls within the historic district. According to the zoning ordinance, this governing body protects and preserves “the old historic or architecturally worthy structures and quaint neighborhoods which impart a distinct aspect of the city and which serve as visible reminders of the historical and cultural heritage of the city, the state, and the nation.” Hoping to accommodate the needs of a modernizing city, the BAR’s responsibilities and philosophies have adjusted and evolved. In an effort to define the BAR’s operating strategy and Charleston’s urban development as it stands today, this study concentrated to the Calhoun Street corridor. Calhoun Street acts as a main artery into the city, connecting many of the neighborhoods of the peninsula and serving as a main thoroughfare for pedestrian and automobile travel. Much of the street yielded to new construction in the last few decades, which allows it to serve as a case study of where the city and its BAR jurisdiction stands today. Through this corridor study, a firm explanation of key principles guiding these changes and the city’s historic preservation theory is expressed for leader and layperson alike. Ultimately, it can be concluded that the BAR has had minimal effect on the outcome of the corridors’ designs; and furthermore, tended to focus on secondary architectural features rather than significant overall design alterations

Negative affect, explanatory style, and stressful life events in an elementary school population

The prevalence of childhood depression is largely unknown due to widely discrepant methods, different assessment instruments, varying definitions of childhood depression, and different populations under investigation. Theoretical arguments have been made to suggest that gifted children are a population at risk for emotional and psychological disruption. Specifically, their advanced cognitive abilities are considered an emotional liability that could increase the chances of a depressive episode or even suicide. In addition, there have been theoretical articles to suggest that two correlates of depression are stressful life events and explanatory style. Students who experience more stress in their lives are more likely to be depressed, and those students who hold a pessimistic cognitive style for explaining situational events are more likely to be depressed. This present study focused on 178 students in grades 4, 5, and 6 in two elementary public schools in a large urban Canadian city. They were asked to complete three inventories that assessed their negative affect, explanatory style and stressful life events. Teachers were also asked to comment on each student by completing a rating scale of negative affect. Overall the results of the study revealed that fourth through sixth grade students reported lower levels of negative affect than reported elsewhere in the literature. Despite theoretical arguments to the contrary, gifted students scored no differently on measures of negative affect or explanatory style. There was a very significant relationship between explanatory style and negative affect and a moderate relationship between stressful life events and negative affect. Teachers were more accurate in identifying students who were not experiencing negative affect that those reporting higher levels of negative affect. Implications for future research and treatment interventions are discussed

A systematic literature review of between-class ability grouping in Australia: Enduring tensions, new directions

Ability grouping of students into separate classes within a school can be called ‘betweenclass ability grouping’. This practice has persisted in Australia despite evidence that it is socially inequitable and does not improve academic outcomes. A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature about between-class ability grouping in Australia from 2012- 2022 reveals only N=28 papers that meet the inclusion criteria. These papers are critiqued and synthesised into four main findings that characterise Australian research about between-class ability grouping from 2012-2022. The findings reveal a lack of substantive inquiry with most studies having limited scope and drawing on outdated or overly generalised data. International studies gloss over vital details about how betweenclass ability grouping is practised in Australia, while research conducted from within Australia reflects enduring tensions between gifted and talented, and social equity agendas. Further research that characterises the range of Australian grouping practices and their effects on students could be used to inform decisions about how to group students into classes in secondary schools

A systematic literature review of between-class ability grouping in Australia: Enduring tensions, new directions

Ability grouping of students into separate classes within a school can be called ‘between-class ability grouping’. This practice has persisted in Australia despite evidence that it is socially inequitable and does not improve academic outcomes. A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature about between-class ability grouping in Australia from 2012-2022 reveals only N=28 papers that meet the inclusion criteria. These papers are critiqued and synthesised into four main findings that characterise Australian research about between-class ability grouping from 2012-2022. The findings reveal a lack of substantive inquiry with most studies having limited scope and drawing on outdated or overly generalised data. International studies gloss over vital details about how between-class ability grouping is practised in Australia, while research conducted from within Australia reflects enduring tensions between gifted and talented, and social equity agendas. Further research that characterises the range of Australian grouping practices and their effects on students could be used to inform decisions about how to group students into classes in secondary schools