What Does an Exemplary Middle School Mathematics Teacher Look Like? The Use of a Professional Development Rubric

A School University Research Network (SURN) committee composed of current mathematics teachers, central office math supervisors, building administrators, mathematicians, and mathematics educators researched numerous sources regarding best practices in mathematics instruction. The resulting professional development rubric synthesizes their findings and can serve a professional development role by providing teachers and administrators with a tool to develop clarity and consensus on best mathematics instructional practices, and how these practices are implemented in the classroom. It is also being used as a tool for cooperating teachers in their supervision of student teachers and as a reflective method for self-evaluation

Congruence within the Parent-Teacher Relationship: Associations with Children’s Functioning

Meaningful interactions between families and schools benefit multiple facets of children’s functioning including their academic, social, and behavioral adjustment (Christenson & Sheridan, 2001). Positive relationships between parents and teachers predict children’s enhanced social-emotional functioning and academic adjustment across time (Izzo, Weissberg, Kasprow, & Fendrich, 1999). Studies of parent-teacher relationships often focus on the association of child outcomes with separate parent or teacher reports of their relationship quality. Little attention has focused on the congruence of perceptions within parent-teacher dyads. It may be the case that when parents and teachers view their relationship in a similar positive light, better connections or partnerships across the home and school environments result, thereby enhancing children’s functioning. Conversely, when parents and teachers hold discrepant views about their relationship, or both view it negatively, they may be less likely to communicate and share goals for children; this disconnect may impede children’s functioning. This study examined the degree to which congruity and incongruity in parent and teacher views of their relationship are related to children’s academic, social, and behavioral functioning. Congruity was examined using a categorical approach: o Positive congruence: parents and teachers share positive views about their relationship o Non-positive congruence: parents and teachers share non-positive views about their relationship o Incongruence: parents and teachers hold differing views about the quality of their relationship Research Question and Hypothesis Is congruence/incongruence between parents and teachers in their views of their relationship related to children’s academic, social, and behavioral functioning? It was hypothesized that congruent, positive views of the parent-teacher relationship would be associated with children’s enhanced academic, social, and behavioral functioning to a greater extent than non-positive congruent or incongruent views

White privilege and teacher perceptions of teacher-child relationship quality

In this study, we investigated differences in teachers’ perceptions of the teacher-child relationship from kindergarten through second grade as a function of child race and gender from the perspective of critical race theory and the cultural synchrony hypothesis. Given the extensive evidence of White privilege and anti-Black racism in the US education system, we expected that teachers, particularly White teachers, would perceive their relationships with White children more positively than with Black children. Controlling for family SES and child gender, results supported this hypothesis. Black boys had the highest risk of being perceived by teachers as having poor relationships with teachers in kindergarten (highest conflict and lowest closeness) and White girls had the lowest risk. In addition, teachers perceived relationships with Black boys as increasing in conflict across first and second grades at higher rates than with White and female children. These findings remained after examining teacher-child racial match as a moderator. Our results indicate that racism and sexism work together to explain the perceptions teachers have of children in the early elementary grades. Implications for training teachers and school psychologists on anti-racism and cultural competency are discussed

Impurity effects in superconducting UPt3

Superconducting UPt3 is characterized by a novel and complex magnetic field‐temperature phase diagram, with two superconducting transitions at Tc1 and Tc2 in zero field. We have studied the effects of Pd and Y impurities on the zero field superconducting properties of UPt3. Resistance measurements show that both dopants increase the residual resistivity and decrease the spin fluctuation temperature in the normal state. Tc1 is depressed by both dopants, but more effectively by Pd. ‖Tc1 − Tc2‖ is essentially unaffected by Y doping, but increases dramatically with Pd doping.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/70706/2/JAPIAU-69-8-5487-1.pd

Intrinsic Properties of AFe2As2 (A = Ba, Sr) Single Crystal under Highly Hydrostatic Pressure Conditions

We measured the electrical resistivity and ac magnetic susceptibility of BaFe2As2 and SrFe2As2 single crystals under pressure using a cubic anvil apparatus. For BaFe2As2, the antiferromagnetic (AF) and structural transitions are suppressed with increasing pressure. Unexpectedly, these transitions persist up to 8 GPa, and no signature of a superconducting transition was observed in the pressure range investigated here. On the other hand, the AF and structural transitions of SrFe2As2 collapse at around the critical pressure Pc ~ 5 GPa, resulting in the appearance of bulk superconductivity. The superconducting volume fraction abruptly increases above Pc, and shows a dome centered at approximately 6 GPa. Our results suggest that the bulk superconducting phase competes with the AF/orthorhombic phase and only appears in the narrow pressure region of the tetragonal phase.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; accepted for publication in J. Phys. Soc. Jp

Identification of genes encoding squalestatin S1 biosynthesis and in vitro production of new squalestatin analogues

A gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of squalestatin S1 (SQS1, 1) was identified by full genome sequencing of two SQS1-producing ascomycetes: Phoma sp. C2932 and unidentified fungus MF5453. A transformation protocol was established and a subsequent knockout of one PKS gene from the cluster led to loss of SQS1 production and enhanced concentration of an SQS1 precursor. An acyltransferase gene from the cluster was expressed in E. coli and the expressed protein MfM4 shown to be responsible for loading acyl groups from CoA onto the squalestatin core as the final step of biosynthesis. MfM4 appears to have a broad substrate selectivity for its acyl CoA substrate, allowing the in vitro synthesis of novel squalestatins

Physical properties of the giant magnetoresistive perovskite system La-Er-Ca-Mn-O

Abstract. The effect of minor changes in lattice parameters and Mn 3+ /Mn 4+ ratios on the magnetoresistive and related properties of the La-Er-Ca-Mn-O perovskite system have been investigated. The latter is found to be the more important factor in determining the magnetotransport properties of these materials. One composition has been prepared by both the standard ceramic method as well as a sol-gel technique. Although the general features of the magnetotransport properties of these two samples were very similar, the magnetic properties showed significant differences. Experimental results are explained on the basis of a spindependent mechanism which is related to lattice distortion