Parent Involvement and Academic Achievement

Research has shown that increasing parental involvement has a positive impact on the academic performance of students yet, for a variety of reasons, many schools struggle to get parents involved. Providing online data systems to communicate student progress with parents is one way schools may encourage parent involvement in their children\u27s education. This study explores the relationship between parent use of an online data system and student academic achievement. Data from a Student Information System (SIS), including course grades, grade point average, attendance, and parent log-in information, was gathered over a four year period for a cohort of students from a small suburban high school. Data analysis indicates no relationship between the level of parent log-in and academic achievement. Implications and suggestions for further research are discussed

Social participation of families with children with autism spectrum disorder in a science museum

This article describes a qualitative research study undertaken as a collaboration between museum and occupational therapy (OT) researchers to better understand museum experiences for families with a child or children impacted by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Inclusion for visitors with ASD is an issue that museums are increasingly considering, and the social dimension of inclusion can be particularly relevant for this audience. The construct of social participation, used in OT, provides a promising avenue for museum professionals to think about inclusion. Social participation situates social and community experiences within the context of peoples’ diverse motivations and the strategies they use to navigate environments. This study took these multiple factors into account when observing families’ museum visits—including analysis of their motivations for visiting, environmental features that influenced their visit, family strategies used before and during the visit, and the families’ definitions of a successful visit. Learning more about these factors that are associated with social participation can inform future efforts to improve museum inclusion for families with children with ASD

Response of soil biota to elevated atmospheric CO 2 in poplar model systems

We tested the hypotheses that increased belowground allocation of carbon by hybrid poplar saplings grown under elevated atmospheric CO 2 would increase mass or turnover of soil biota in bulk but not in rhizosphere soil. Hybrid poplar saplings ( Populus × euramericana cv. Eugenei) were grown for 5 months in open-bottom root boxes at the University of Michigan Biological Station in northern, lower Michigan. The experimental design was a randomized-block design with factorial combinations of high or low soil N and ambient (34 Pa) or elevated (69 Pa) CO 2 in five blocks. Rhizosphere microbial biomass carbon was 1.7 times greater in high-than in low-N soil, and did not respond to elevated CO 2 . The density of protozoa did not respond to soil N but increased marginally ( P  < 0.06) under elevated CO 2 . Only in high-N soil did arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and microarthropods respond to CO 2 . In high-N soil, arbuscular mycorrhizal root mass was twice as great, and extramatrical hyphae were 11% longer in elevated than in ambient CO 2 treatments. Microarthropod density and activity were determined in situ using minirhizotrons. Microarthropod density did not change in response to elevated CO 2 , but in high-N soil, microarthropods were more strongly associated with fine roots under elevated than ambient treatments. Overall, in contrast to the hypotheses, the strongest response to elevated atmospheric CO 2 was in the rhizosphere where (1) unchanged microbial biomass and greater numbers of protozoa ( P  < 0.06) suggested faster bacterial turnover, (2) arbuscular mycorrhizal root length increased, and (3) the number of microarthropods observed on fine roots rose.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42279/1/442-113-2-247_81130247.pd

Observing soil biota in situ

Rhizotrons and minirhizotrons allow repetitive, nondestructive observation of the soil biota. Bias associated with minirhizotron and rhizotron observations, and methods that will help realize the potential of these observational platforms are reviewed. Root density estimates in minirhizotrons are prone to bias due to soil compaction, and poor contact between tube and soil. Density estimates of microarthropods observed in minirhizotrons, are less biased by longer observation periods, low light levels, and good optical resolution. Microarthropods observed in a rhizotron were underrepresented compared with soil cores if they belonged to groups that move little, are transparent, or small. Time-lapse video can be used to sample microarthropod density in rhizotrons. Better visualization of all of the biota can be achieved by using long working length microscope objectives, and stains such as fluorescein diacetate, ethidium bromide and the tetrazolium dye, p-Iodonitrotetrazolium Violet. Repeated observation of the same roots allows the use of demographic methods for calculation of root survivorship, turnover, and productivity.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/30903/1/0000572.pd

Climate change goes underground: effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 on microbial community structure and activities in the rhizosphere.

General concern about climate change has led to growing interest in the responses of terrestrial ecosystems to elevated concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere. Experimentation during the last two to three decades using a large variety of approaches has provided sufficient information to conclude that enrichment of atmospheric CO2 may have severe impact on terrestrial ecosystems. This impact is mainly due to the changes in the organic C dynamics as a result of the effects of elevated CO2 on the primary source of organic C in soil, i.e., plant photosynthesis. As the majority of life in soil is heterotrophic and dependent on the input of plant-derived organic C, the activity and functioning of soil organisms will greatly be influenced by changes in the atmospheric CO2 concentration. In this review, we examine the current state of the art with respect to effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 on soil microbial communities, with a focus on microbial community structure. On the basis of the existing information, we conclude that the main effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 on soil microbiota occur via plant metabolism and root secretion, especially in C3 plants, thereby directly affecting the mycorrhizal, bacterial, and fungal communities in the close vicinity of the root. There is little or no direct effect on the microbial community of the bulk soil. In particular, we have explored the impact of these changes on rhizosphere interactions and ecosystem processes, including food web interactions