Utility of the Multi-Tiered Instruction Self-Efficacy Scale in Assessing Needs and Short-Term Gains of Preservice Teachers for Multi-tiered Instruction

Researchers demonstrated that the Multi-Tiered Instruction Self- Efficacy Scale works with a population of preservice teachers in the assessment of self-efficacy for multi-tiered instruction. The scale demonstrated strong internal consistency (.94). With 148 participants, all juniors in a teacher preparation program, areas of greatest need for professional development included data-driven decision making and meeting the needs of English language learners. Significant short-term gains were made in overall self-efficacy for multi-tiered instruction as well as in the six subcomponents of finding and evaluating evidence-based solutions, collaboration, monitoring interventions, data-driven decision making, engaging learners, and meeting the needs of English language learners

Quality and Utility of the Multi-tiered Instruction Self-efficacy Scale

Response to Intervention (RTI) is an educational approach that integrates ongoing assessment of individual student progress with targeted instruction. Administrators and teachers in P-12 schools expressed a need for colleagues in higher education to provide training to general education pre-service and in-service teachers in selecting appropriate instruments and conducting accurate assessments, tasks traditionally performed by special education teachers. Researchers developed a scale to measure self-efficacy of educators using these approaches to better identify areas in which educators need additional support. Researchers wanted to know if the scale functioned as expected and if it was appropriate to use the scale for their intended purposes. This paper describes the results of the study of the characteristics of the scale following the administration of the pilot, including indices of score reliability and utility. The researchers used measures of internal consistency and factor analysis to assess scale quality. The results indicate that the scale is useful for measuring teacher perceptions of their self-efficacy using multi-tiered instructional approaches

Scattering functions of knotted ring polymers

We discuss the scattering function of a Gaussian random polygon with N nodes under a given topological constraint through simulation. We obtain the Kratky plot of a Gaussian polygon of N=200 having a fixed knot for some different knots such as the trivial, trefoil and figure-eight knots. We find that some characteristic properties of the different Kratky plots are consistent with the distinct values of the mean square radius of gyration for Gaussian polygons with the different knots.Comment: 4pages, 3figures, 3table

A Simple Empirical Calibration of Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDXA) on the Cornea

Monitoring of the corneal electrolyte content is important for the study of chemical eye burns. This paper describes quantitative measurements on gelatin standards, corneas and a cornea homogenate with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX) in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Ten micrometers thick cryosections were freeze-dried and mounted on solid carbon supports. The applied quantification procedure was a local peak background analysis with a specifically designed computer program. Similar chemical and physical properties of gelatin, cornea homogenate, and cornea were proven by EDX-analysis and wet chemical analysis. Gelatin standards with known concentrations of different added salts showed linear correlations with a correlation coefficient higher than 0.95 for all considered elements. The local background generation on carbon supports was the same for gelatin standards and corneal tissue. The results demonstrate that quantitative EDX analysis of semi-thin samples, mounted on neutral carbon supports, can be reliably used for the assessment of the corneal mineral composition

Numerical issues of the Total Exchange Flow (TEF) analysis framework for quantifying estuarine circulation

For more than a century, estuarine exchange flow has been quantified by means of the Knudsen relations which connect bulk quantities such as inflow and outflow volume fluxes and salinities. These relations are closely linked to estuarine mixing. The recently developed Total Exchange Flow (TEF) analysis framework, which uses salinity coordinates to calculate these bulk quantities, allows an exact formulation of the Knudsen relations in realistic cases. There are however numerical issues, since the original method does not converge to the TEF bulk values for an increasing number of salinity classes. In the present study, this problem is investigated and the method of dividing salinities, described by MacCready et al. (2018), is mathematically introduced. A challenging yet compact analytical scenario for a well-mixed estuarine exchange flow is investigated for both methods, showing the proper convergence of the dividing salinity method. Furthermore, the dividing salinity method is applied to model results of the Baltic Sea to demonstrate the analysis of realistic exchange flows and exchange flows with more than two layers.</p