The Effect of Adding Students to School-Parent Communication to Improve Parental Attendance at School Events

This quantitative, quasi-experimental static group comparison study aimed to determine parents\u27 perspectives on their school involvement and the effects of student influence on parent attendance at school events when communication methods included students and parents. Communication about ways parents can become involved with their student\u27s school is vital in improving the connection between parental involvement and student achievement. Sample participants included the parents of 381 elementary school students (Kindergarten-Fifth Grades) of one public charter school. The parent involvement events consisted of two asynchronous parent involvement videos, one for reading and one for math, delivered through the Family Involvement Questionnaire emailed to parents from the school. Questionnaire data about parents\u27 perceived school involvement was collected via Google Forms, downloaded as an Excel spreadsheet, then uploaded to SPSS for data analysis through two independent samples t-tests and two Chi-squared tests. The findings suggest that when students are included in the communication about parent events, students\u27 pester power positively influences parent attendance. Therefore, school personnel can improve parent attendance at parent involvement events by including students in the marketing-motivated communication about the events. The researcher recommends strengthening this study\u27s findings by replicating the study, post-pandemic, in different settings such as in-person, synchronous, and asynchronous; rural, suburban, and urban; in districts with varying socioeconomic statuses and diverse enrollments; and in varying school district types, which provides a larger sample size

Using data driven decision systems to deliver person-centred approaches in developmental disorders: one example of complexity - the criminal justice system

A carefully taken history can result in a correct medical diagnosis 90% of the time in skilled hands. It requires capturing information from the person’s past history as well as current functioning and setting. However, where individuals may be moving in and out of systems inconsistently, this can be difficult to undertake as well as there being a lack of trained personnel for the task. Without consistent and robust systems in place wrong assumptions can be made and the result of partial information can be wrong or no support provided. This paper describes an example of the challenges in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) in identifying and supporting individuals with a range of developmental disorders and learning difficulties. It provides an example of how using an innovative computerized accessible assessment system has assisted in screening and undertaking some assessments in order to make more accurate judgments and conclusions. If we are to truly recognise and support the needs of offenders with developmental disorders. joined up systems are required from the point of entry into the CJS and that can work across prisons and into rehabilitation. However, technology is merely a tool to assist in this process and has to be a part of an embedded system. This means that the information gathered has to facilitate discussion and action, and the tools for tracking can aid monitoring and measuring outcomes. Every good car needs a competent driver who knows where they heading. This requires a change in approach to allow a bio-psychosocial dimensional approach to be taken rather than a categorical approach. This needs barriers between professionals to be lowered in order to work in a trans-disciplinary fashion. CJS is one example, but other sectors such as education and Welfare to Work represent similar challenges for the identification and support of individuals with developmental disorders

Mechanical Properties of 8 Mole% Yttria-Stabilised Zirconia for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Both high ionic conductivity and mechanical strength are important when considering the potential application of ceramics in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). Yttria stabilised zirconia compounds can be used as both the electrolyte and anode support structure in self supporting SOFC and as a result, there is great interest in the development of these materials. The high ionic conductivity of an 8 mol% Y2O3 ZrO2 formulation, must be combined with suitable mechanical hardness and toughness, in order to qualify for SOFC application. The availability of suitable materials has been limited with the majority of suppliers having only small scale manufacturing capability. This study has investigated the physical and mechanical properties of a commercially available ZrO2(Y2O3)0.08 ceramic,. The product was found to contain only the cubic phase and possess the necessary structural characteristics for use in solid oxide fuel cells

“Falling Off a Cliff”: Mothering Disabled Children through the Pandemic and Beyond

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on the lives of mothers of disabled children. These children have complex needs that require health, educational, and social care support services, but most of these services were cancelled or reduced because of COVID-19-related restrictions. In this article, a group of mother-researchers use a collaborative autoethnographic approach to highlight the essential role that mothers and carework play in social organization; identify gaps in services and systems due to COVID-19 policies; and provide suggestions to transform our social care support systems to better meet the needs of disabled children and their families

From dropping out to dropping in: exploring why individuals cease participation in musical activities and the support needed to reengage them

Continued participation in music has been associated with well-being outcomes, yet many either fail to begin or cease musical participation after limited exposure. The current research examined why individuals cease participating, focusing on identifying barriers to participation and the support needed to re-engage in musical activities. A sample of 190 Australian residents (Mage = 26.87; 75.80% female) who had ceased previous musical participation completed an online questionnaire in which they rated the degree to which 15 items reflected their reasons for ceasing musical participation and answered an open-ended question regarding their requirements for re-engagement. An exploratory factor analysis of the quantitative responses identified four components relating to cessation: “Access and Opportunity,” “Activity Experience,” “Obligations,” and “Difficulty with Practicing.” A Grounded Theory analysis concerning the support required for re-engagement indicated four key themes: “Personal Investment,” “Requirements of the Musical Activity,” “Personal Qualities,” and “No Interest in Re-Engagement.” Collectively, these results provide an indepth understanding of factors external to music itself as influences on continued musical participation. With implications for facilitators and educators, these results suggest a need for collaboration and interaction between music facilitators and participants