Primary school achievement gaps and school decisions to support the academic achievement of disadvantaged students with data: A cross-country comparative study

Reducing the academic disadvantage of all students is a significant educational goal for many countries. Increasingly, education reforms around the world, including those in Australia and the United States have sought to reduce achievement gaps by adopting a strategy of embedding accountability anchored by standardised assessment. Whether to meet federal and state educational requirements, to provide transparency to the general public, or to inform curriculum and instruction at individual schools, policy makers rely on assessment data and data-driven practice to make a difference. Although external forces such as policy expectations are generally the first step in creating social change, the internal beliefs of change agents can impact their course of action. Being agents of change, school educators can choose to adopt data-driven practice for compliance, or also to engage with data for continuous improvement. Applying the efficacy theory and the theory of planned behaviour from the social cognitive tradition, this thesis examined educators’ belief mechanism regarding embracing data-practice, and considered the direct and indirect benefits of data-engagement, as well as the costs that ensued for teaching and learning. Using standardised assessment results from 2008–2013 in Australia and two counties in California, and six case studies across New South Wales, California, and Hawaii, the present mixed methods research found evidence of progress in raising the proficiency of disadvantaged students, but not in narrowing achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students. The case studies suggest a positive relationship between academic proficiency progress and data engagement. This can be explained by the structural design and operational procedures of the data-driven process enhancing educators’ attitudes, intention, perceived efficacy beliefs, and perceived behavioural control relating to the challenging task of raising the educational outcomes of disadvantaged students. As a result, participants could see beyond mere compliance with data-driven practice to its potential for professional improvement

Rhode Island’s Health Equity Zones: Addressing Local Problems with Local Solutions

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) describes the strategies and infrastructure it has developed to fund its placed-based initiatives to address the social determinants of health to eliminate health disparities. Using a data driven and community-led approach, RIDOH funded 10 local collaboratives, each with its own, geographically-defined “Health Equity Zone,” or “HEZ,” and, to support the collaboratives, created a new “Health Equity Institute,” a “HEZ Team” of 9 seasoned project managers, and direct lines of communications between these assets and the Office of the Director of Health

Reductive Elimination from Cyclometalated Platinum(IV) Complexes To Form Csp2−Csp3 Bonds and Subsequent Competition between Csp2−H and Csp3−H Bond Activation

Reductive elimination reactions of the cyclometalated platinum(IV) compounds [PtMe2Br{C6H4CH NCH2(4-ClC6H4)}L] (L = SMe2, PPh3) to form Csp3−Csp2 bonds, followed by either exclusive Csp2−H bond activation (L = SMe2) or competition between Csp2−H and Csp3−H bond activation (L = PPh3) are reported. Reductive elimination to form a C−Br bond is also reported.</p

A Mixed‑Methods Exploration of the Developmental Trajectory of Autonomous Motivation in Graduate Medical Learners

Self-determination theory (SDT), when applied to curricular construction, emphasizes curiosity, self-awareness, and resilience. Physicians need these qualities to face the challenges of clinical practice. SDT offers a lens for medical educators to track learner development toward sustainable, rewarding careers. This study describes the changes observed in learner communications about feelings of competence, relatedness, and autonomy across a 3-year family medicine training program designed to develop activated, lifelong learners

Обоснование критериев оценки биологической активности минеральных вод

Автори під час проведення порівняльного аналізу біологічної дії борвміщуючих мінеральних вод різної мінералізації виявила якісну та кількісну однаковість їх впливу. Інтегративні показники властивостей мінеральних вод, що використовуються на сьогоднішній день, не пояснюють виявлені особливості дії. Автори роблять висновок, що застосування відносних показників властивостей мінеральних вод, прив’язаних до 1 граму мінеральних речовин, які містяться у воді, дозволить більш точно оцінювати властивості мінеральних вод.Authors, carrying out the comparative analysis of biological action of the boron containing mineral waters of a different mineralization, have found out qualitative and quantitative similarity of their influence. Used for today integrate indicators of properties of mineral waters do not explain the taped features of action. Authors come to conclusion that transition to relative indicators of properties of the mineral waters, adhered to 1 gram of the mineral substances containing in water, allows to estimate properties of mineral waters more precisely

Developing a clinical pathway for the identification and management of anxiety and depression in adult cancer patients: an online Delphi consensus process

Purpose: People with cancer and their families experience high levels of psychological morbidity. However many cancer services do not routinely screen patients for anxiety and depression and there are no standardized clinical referral pathways. This study aimed to establish consensus on elements of a draft clinical pathway tailored to the Australian context. Methods: A two-round Delphi study was conducted to gain consensus among Australian oncology and psycho-oncology clinicians about the validity of 39 items that form the basis of a clinical pathway that includes screening, assessment, referral and stepped-care management of anxiety and depression in the context of cancer. The expert panel comprised 87 multidisciplinary clinician members of the Australian Psycho-oncology Cooperative Research Group (PoCoG). Respondents rated their level of agreement with each statement on a 5-point likert scale. Consensus was defined as >80% of respondents scoring within 2 points on the likert scale. Results: Consensus was reached for 21 of 39 items, and a further 15 items approached consensus except for specific contextual factors, after 2 Delphi rounds. Formal screening for anxiety and depression, a stepped care model of management and recommendations for inclusion of length of treatment and time to review were endorsed. Consensus was not reached on items related to roles and responsibilities, particularly those not applicable across cancer settings. Conclusions: This study identified a core set of evidence- and consensus-based principles considered essential to a stepped care model of care incorporating identification, referral and management of anxiety and depression in adult cancer patients.This study was funded by Sydney Catalyst Translational Cancer Research Centr

Exercise and Esr1 Control Mitochondrial Content and Function to Regulate Adiposity

Mechanisms that underlie adipose tissue remodeling to enhance metabolic health in response to exercise training remain inadequately understood. PURPOSE: We utilized mouse genetics and human GWAS to determine the impact of exercise training on mitochondrial DNA copy number, and interrogate the relationship between Esr1 and adipose tissue health. METHODS: We performed RNAseq on adipose tissue from 100 strains of inbred mice following exercise training and determined mitochondrial content by qPCR. We performed deep phenotyping of mice harboring conditional Esr1 overexpression selectively in adipose tissue. Adipose specific Esr1 overexpression and control mice were fed a high fat diet and placed in metabolic chambers to interrogate the effects of Esr1 on whole body metabolism. RESULTS: We determined that exercise training significantly increased adipose tissue mtDNA content in mouse and man and that increased mitochondrial content correlated with reduced adiposity. Adipocyte health was associated with increased expression of transcripts involved in mitochondrial cristae formation including OPA1, Polg1, and Dnm1l. Since Esr1 is a transcription factor negatively associated with adipose tissue mass, and since deletion of Esr1 disrupts mitochondrial function and reduces expression of Polg1, OPA1, and Dnm1l, we interrogated in impact of conditional Esr1 overexpression on mitochondrial function and adipose tissue health. Adipocyte-specific Esr1 overexpression increased expression of mitochondrial gene targets, increased mtDNA copy number and mitochondrial respiration, and enhanced whole body energy expenditure of animals challenged by high fat diet feeding. Adipocyte-specific Esr1 overexpression protected mice against HFD-induced obesity. CONCLUSION: Exercise promotes remodeling of adipose tissue mitochondria and is associated with fat mass reduction. Overexpression of Esr1 drives a similar adipose tissue remodeling and weight loss as exercise training, and protects against adipose tissue weight gain in the context of overnutrition. These data suggest that exercise responsive transcripts in adipose tissue can be selectively targeted to enhance weight loss and improve metabolic health