Implications of Trauma-Sensitive Practices at the Middle Level

This essay provides a broad overview of adverse childhood experiences and their impact on the middle level learner. Through a literature review, the author finds points of intersection between current research on traumatized students, best practices for classroom and school-wide procedures, and tenets of the middle level philosophy

The Impact of Visual Impairments on Mobility Performance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Background and Purpose: Falls are a major concern for elderly adults and can have a significant impact on overall health and well-being. Declines in vision with aging may be related to the development of fear of falling (FOF) and impaired mobility. It is possible that impaired vision due to common eye diseases can increase the FOF avoidance behavior and affect mobility function in this population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation among visual impairment, mobility performance, and FOF avoidance behavior in older adults. Methods: Inclusion criteria for eligible participants were: 50 years of age and older, able to walk 50 m without assistance, and able to understand simple instructions related to the assessments. A total of 455 participants from local community adult activity centers (males=152, females=303; age=73.1±7.7 years, range=51-97 years) participated. Physical mobility was assessed using an instrumented Timed Up-and-Go test. Visual acuity (VA) was tested using a standard Snellen chart. Avoidance behavior was assessed using the Fear of Falling Avoidance Behavior Questionnaire (FFABQ). Participants’ general health and presence of eye diseases (age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma) was assessed using a survey of medical history. A two-way ANOVA was used to investigate effect of VA and avoidance behavior on TUG performance. An additional two-way ANOVA test was used to investigate the effect of self-reported eye disease and avoidance behavior on TUG performance. Results and Discussion: There was a statistically significant difference between avoiders and non avoiders’ TUG score (avoiders=12.45±5.85 sec, non-avoiders 8.29±3.48, p\u3c0.001). The VA has no significant effect on TUG time (no impairment= 8.69 ± 3.49 sec, mild impairment= 9.42 ± 5.05 sec, moderate impairment= 8.11 ± 2.08 sec, severe impairment= 9.45 ± 2.68 sec, p=0.791). There is no significant VA group by avoider group interaction (p=0.66). There was also a statistically significant difference in TUG scores between participants with and without eye disease (eye disease=9.37±5.08, no eye disease=8.29±2.80, p=0.004). There is no significant eye disease by avoider group interaction (p=0.144). iv Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that the presence of one or more self-reported eye diseases and higher FOF avoidance behavior were both associated with decreased mobility. Contrary to the initial hypothesis of the present study, there was no relation between VA and mobility, nor VA and FOF avoidance behavior. It is important for clinicians to inquire about the presence of eye diseases and administer the FFABQ to older adults in order to identify risk factors related to decline in physical mobility. Presently, the continued use of the Snellen chart to assess for VA as a part of fall risk assessment may be inadequate. Future studies should focus on developing a more comprehensive clinical assessment of vision that expands beyond visual acuity for the geriatric population

The Social Lot: Reimagining the Future of Surface Parking Lots in Kansas City, Missouri

Currently, the world is experiencing a resurgence of the urban lifestyle as humanity undergoes its third great wave of human history, the metropolitan tide. Humanity’s advancement in the past few decades has made cities the largest technology possible. In 1952, only thirty percent of the population lived in cities, and by the end of the twenty-first century, eighty-five percent of the world’s population will be urban. With this influx of population in the urban landscape, it is pertinent now more than ever for cities to redesign the city for the pedestrian. In the 1950s, there was a predominant reorganization of the landscape and shift in the urban lifestyle in the United States as the “American Dream” ignited a move out of the city into the suburbs, This outward expansion to places to be later deemed “suburbia” transformed the landscape into separated business districts and living districts. The space in between, and even the space within the city was transformed and was designed for the consumer and the car—not the pedestrian. So, now, the contemporary urban landscape is comprised of large blocks of commercial or industrial buildings followed by intermittently organized underutilized and underperforming open space. These open spaces are usually space left-over after planning, and are created by happenstance, not intention. When this reorganization of the landscape occurred, a new model of the urban form was created, the sprawl city model. The sprawl city usually witnesses this type of car-centered organization downtown, which leads to a disconnection within the core and its people. Located in the heart of the United States lies a city so much in sprawl that it straddles two states. Connecting Kansas and Missouri, Kansas City has the potential to be a paradigm for sprawl city revitalization. Currently, Kansas City, Missouri is undergoing transformations towards a 21st century city, but the main issue inhibiting the success of these transformations is the disconnection within the city. Not only is it an expansive sprawl city, but the downtown core organization caters to the needs of the car. Miles of highway act as barriers towards connection of the city’s districts, and at the pedestrian scale, the landscape is plagued by wide streets and boulevards and underutilized open space and surface parking lots. Kansas City, Missouri is city desperately wanting to connect and revitalize the downtown core, which is rich in history and culture, but with these connection barriers, the city is having difficulty. This capstone reimagines the future of surface parking lots in the Crossroads District of Kansas City, Missouri as public space and investigates the hypothesis that engaging public spaces into the city’s almost non-existent public realm will ignite a network of public space and create a better-connected city. Through the analysis of Kansas City, Missouri, surface parking lot typologies in the Crossroads District, and the study of successful public space as determined by theories and cases studies in placemaking, this capstone aims to determine a public space toolkit needed to transform Kansas City’s surface parking lots into public spaces that provide better connectivity between its districts, neighborhoods, and people. The capstone investigates three potential sites in the Crossroads District and assesses how each site’s existing conditions and potential usage and design with the toolkit implementation can achieve a comfortable, social space that can serve as a catalyst for further public space linkage throughout the Crossroads District, and then throughout the Greater Downtown Metro Area. The goal of this capstone is to examine the viability of the toolkit as a public space placemaking method, in relation to Kansas City, and ultimately answer its initial research question: How can public space serve as an ultimate layer of connectivity in a currently disconnected city

Poverty and Middle Level Achievement in a Common Core State: What are we Missing?

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a significant difference exists in academic achievement between all students and economically disadvantaged students when compared by socioeconomic levels in the North Carolina middle grades learner (as measured by reading and mathematics standardized tests). It also sought to determine whether significant differences exist between economically disadvantaged students in the various middle level grades (6-8). This article analyzes proficiency data in state-level standardized assessments from a most recent testing year (2017) with North Carolina middle level students. While student socioeconomic status and its impact on student achievement are the focus of this article, this study also analyzes proficiency trends while delving into inequity implications. A review of the literature establishes a long-term pattern of an achievement gap with disadvantaged students. Recognizing the impact of poverty on student achievement as measured by standardized tests, the author questions the explicit practices of the middle level educator to better support economically disadvantaged middle level students. This study illuminates some evidence-based best practices while also exploring the asset-based learning model and growth mindset as strategies to support adolescent learners experiencing high poverty

Secrecy for the Sake of It: The Defend Trade Secrets Act

With foreign economic espionage and national security concerns thrust to the forefront of the discussion, Congress nearly unanimously passed the Defend Trade Secrets Act after a concerted effort by the executive branch, federal law enforcement, and intellectual property scholars. While this landmark legislation provides the long sought-after grounds of original federal jurisdiction for trade secret misappropriation claims, the statute also offers litigants a powerful remedy—the ex parte seizure provision. This unprecedented provision in trade secrets law allows a plaintiff, with no notice to the defendant, to file an application with the court requesting that U.S. Marshals seize and hold the defendant’s property containing the allegedly wrongfully acquired or disclosed trade secrets until a hearing is set on the matter. Although subject to numerous procedural safeguards and with an order in favor of ex parte seizure only to be granted in “extraordinary circumstances,” this potent provision all but assures that litigants with deep pockets (and in businesses wholly unrelated to national security) will be able to silence a less financially robust competitor—more often than not, a former employee—who may be especially vulnerable to unexpected seizures at precarious moments for a newly launched start-up such as on the eve of an initial public offering or product release. Trade secrets should be considered as a viable property interest, yet are materially distinct from established forms of federally registerable intellectual property (e.g., copyrights, trademarks, patents) and as a result, the vast majority of ex parte proceedings in the trade secrets context will needlessly violate the defendant’s due process rights. This note proposes that the “extraordinary circumstances” language of the ex parte seizure provision should be narrowed to comport with basic constitutional tenets, and further suggests that as a matter of policy, employers should be fostering launchpad and knowledge-sharing environments, rather than punishing top talent and restricting innovation

What makes a lizard invasive? Behavioral and neural correlates of invasion success

To understand what makes an invasive species successful, we must understand the behavioral mechanisms these invaders employ. In this study, I examined traits associated with the “boldness” behavioral syndrome (i.e., aggression, general activity levels, and behavioral flexibility), and the morphology of brain regions associated with those traits. I assessed boldness by conducting a series of four behavioral tests designed to measure aggression towards prey, aggression towards a conspecific, overall activity in an open field test, and flexibility in completing a novel task. I compared these measures in two species pairs: the native green anole (Anolis carolinensis; n = 12) and the invasive Cuban brown anole (Anolis sagrei; n = 15), and the native Texas banded gecko (Coleonyx brevis; n = 4) and the invasive Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus; n = 8). I found that the brown anole was “bolder” than the green anole in two of the four behavioral tests conducted, but there was no difference between the two gecko species for any of the behavioral tests conducted. In contrast to my predictions, the native green anole had a larger relative brain mass (a general indicator of behavioral flexibility) and a relative total brain volume than the invasive brown anole. Green anoles also had larger neuron somas in the ventromedial nucleus of the amygdala and the medial cortex (regions associated with the boldness behaviors), contradicting my predictions. However, the Mediterranean house gecko had a larger relative brain mass than the native Texas banded gecko, consistent with the predicted pattern. I also found several within species relationships between behaviors expressed during the trials and the brain regions with which I predicted they would be associated. Together, these results provide one of the first studies of the relationships between brain and behavior in invasion biology

A MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF FACTORS INFLUENCING 2-YEAR COLLEGE ENROLLMENT DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted enrollment, a continuation of the decline ongoing since 2010. Two-year colleges are highly dependent on tuition revenue. Consequently, the pandemic exacerbated the postsecondary economic crisis, as 2-year institutions faced financial hardship amidst enrollment uncertainties. In response to the pandemic, policymakers and 2-year college leaders adapted their enrollment management efforts. However, the impact of these actions on enrollment was unknown. Using resource dependence theory, the present study aimed to understand how COVID-19 influenced 2-year colleges\u27 acquisition of their most sustainable resource, enrollment. Separate multiple linear regression analyses explored the influence of four enrollment management efforts (shift to remote instruction, return to in-person instruction, emergency relief aid, and tuition incentives) on total 12-month enrollment using populations of public and for-profit 2-year institutions; while simultaneously controlling for student demographics, institutional characteristics, and environmental impact. The analysis demonstrated that tuition incentives and emergency relief aid positively influenced enrollment during the 2020-2021 academic year among public 2-year institutions. Comparatively, the for-profit 2-year sector was impervious to all enrollment management efforts, as increased tuition rates contributed the most influence. Across both sectors, female enrollment and rural campus location negatively influenced total enrollment. Study findings have implications for policy and practice initiatives rooted in college affordability and the initiation of support services, particularly those which address basic needs insecurity and closure of the digital divide. Moreover, this study demonstrates a need for increased accountability in the for-profit sector

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders : identifying family factors, characterizing child behaviors, and evaluating a parent education program.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) refers to the group of conditions that results when a developing fetus is exposed to alcohol and is considered one of the leading causes of mental retardation and birth defects in the United States. Children with FASD typically have emotional and behavioral disabilities as well as poor academic functioning. Few empirically supported programs have been specifically designed for parents of children FASD. The present work aimed to evaluate a new FASD intervention and to identify characteristics of families raising a child with FASD. Thirty-one families with children ranging from 2 to 11 years of age participated in a 3-hour parent education program, which included educational information, discussions with FASD experts and other parents, and an evaluation of the intervention. Results showed that parents felt a great deal of stress and more than a third had elevated symptoms of depression. In addition, children scored high on intensity and severity of behavior problems. Families reported that the education program was valuable and increased their understanding of their child both initially and after one year. A statistically significant decrease in problem behaviors was seen one-year after the intervention, but parent stress was found to stay the same