A meta-analysis on the efficacy of cogmed working memory training

Working memory is the ability to temporarily hold information in one’s mind, manipulatethis information and then use it. Working memory is a critical skill in one’s dailyfunctioning as it impacts our ability to carry out multi-step directions, apply reading skills,solve complex mathematic problems, and perform many other academic tasks.Research has recently found that working memory skills can be increased with propertraining. Cogmed Working Memory Training (CWMT) is an online training program thatis said to increase working memory and related skills in different populations ofparticipants. Previous meta-analyses have analyzed the efficacy of CWMT and foundno impact on reasoning ability, symptoms of ADHD, transfer effects on WM capacity,verbal ability, word reading, or arithmetic (Melby-Lervag & Hulme, 2013; Shipstead,Hick, & Engle, 2012). They did find immediate gains on verbal working memory andvisual-spatial working memory, which did not maintain at follow up. The current studyinvolved a meta-analysis of 13 recent (since 2011), published peer-reviewed articles ordissertations examining the effects of CWMT on auditory working memory, visualspatialworking memory, attention, parent and teacher ratings of inattentionhyperactivity, self-ratings of ADHD symptoms and executive functions, reading skills, and math skills. The results of the meta-analysis only revealed a small impact onauditory working memory and a small to moderate effect on visual-spatial workingmemory. There was no impact on clinical measures of attention, self-rating of ADHDsymptoms, teacher rating of inattention, nor parent rating of inattention. There weresignificant impacts on parent rating of inattention and teacher rating of hyperactivity.There was a small effect on self-rating of executive functions. In regards to academicskills, there were no statistical impacts on reading or math skills

Vision boards: A creative tool for self-exploration and identity development

Researchers recently described vision boards as a creative tool that counselors and clients can use to promote communication and identification of future goals in a strengths-based and solution-focused way. Using the framework of Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) the authors describe a method for using vision boards in educational settings to promote identity exploration, enhanced self-efficacy beliefs, and the development of career and educational aspirations for under-represented adolescents. The authors present a case example of middle school students from rural, low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds who created vision boards as part of a summer camp. Implications for the use of vision boards are discussed for counselors, counselor educators, and researchers

College level choice of Latino high school students: A social cognitive approach.

Latino students attend 2-year colleges more often than 4-year colleges. This has an impact on the rate of bachelor's degree attainment, because the transfer rate between the 2 levels is low. The author uses national data to identify predictors associated with college-level choice and then uses social-cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) to frame counseling implications. Los estudiantes Latinos se matriculan con más frecuencia en estudios universitarios de 2 años que en estudios de 4 años. Esto produce un impacto en el porcentaje de obtención de licenciaturas, porque la tasa de transferencia entre ambos niveles es baja. El autor emplea datos a nivel nacional para identificar predictores asociados con la elección del nivel de estudios universitarios, y después emplea la teoría social cognitiva de las carreras (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) para formular las implicaciones para la consejería

Latino Students in New Arrival States: Factors and Services to Prevent Youth From Dropping Out

Latino youth are more likely than any other ethnic group to drop out of high school in the United States. Though some research has helped us understand the factors leading to dropout, very few studies have assessed Latino student’s opinions of services and factors that would help them stay in school (e.g., family, school, peers, and policies). This study presents the results of an in-depth survey of 501 Latino students in North Carolina public schools. Findings suggest that Latino youth drop out because of the difficulty of their school work, personal problems (e.g., pregnancy or problems at home), the need to work to support their family economically, and peer pressure. Students suggest improved academic and personal support in the form of tutoring, mentoring, after-school programs; improved English as a second language classes; and more Spanish-speaking staff/teachers. Recommendations for intervention and policy are suggested

Review of ‘Americans by Heart: Undocumented Latino students and the promise of higher education.’

In August 2012, undocumented youth who were brought to the United States prior to their 16th birthday became eligible to apply for deferred action relative to deportation, per an administrative order by President Barack Obama. Although this action did not accomplish the same goals hoped for by Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act supporters, it did allow a portion of the unauthorized immigrant youth in this country a chance to apply for a temporary work permit and to come out from the shadows. At the start of his second term in January 2013, President Obama and a bipartisan group of Senators went to work drafting legislation for more comprehensive immigration reform. This historical moment makes William Pérez's book Americans by Heart all the more salient. The book is a product of his 2-year qualitative and quantitative study of undocumented Latino high school students (18% of the sample) and college students (34% attending community college, 48% at a 4-year college), mostly in California and Texas. The book illustrates what he learned about their social resources and constraints (Chapter 2), their academic and civic engagement (Chapters 3 and 4), their pathways into higher education (Chapter 5), and their status upon graduation (Chapter 6). Most important, the voices of the participants bring the reasons for deferred action and the DREAM Act vividly to life. In one participant's words, “I was really depressed because I was outstanding in school, and I was like, OK, I can't go to college” (p. 24). The determination and motivation of the participants is shown as well, as they continued to strive and often to excel against long odds

Linking multicultural counseling and social justice through advocacy

The concepts of multicultural counseling, social justice, and advocacy may be utilized without a clear sense of how best to operationalize them in counselor training. In this article, the authors offer a perspective on how advocacy and social justice interrelate and share strategies for infusing advocacy into counselor training to achieve social justice goals. The authors provide six experiential activities counselor educators may use to provide counselors-in-training experience in a range of advocacy skills

Adjustment of Undergraduate Latino Students at a Southeastern University Cultural Components of Academic and Social Integration

College campuses in the southeast United States are striving to understand and serve their newly arriving Latino students to promote adjustment and academic success. The purpose of this article is to outline the cultural components of academic and social integration of Latino college students at one southeastern campus, based on descriptive survey results. Participant responses reflected relatively smooth academic integration but some complications in the social/cultural areas. Implications for student affairs professionals are discussed

Initial evaluation of a Latino parent college planning program: "It changed my life and my child's life.”

Parents have long served a crucial role in their children’s postsecondary success through guidance and support. In an effort to help Latina/o parents in emerging immigrant communities overcome any limits to their knowledge around college-going practices, this study evaluates the feasibility and beginning efficacy of a parent-focused, Spanish-language psychoeducational program (Padres Promoviendo Preparación). The program is novel in that it centers on increasing parent college-going knowledge and self-efficacy for guiding their children forward; it was delivered in both school and congregational settings; and the content was delivered in Spanish by community advocates working in collaboration with university-based personnel. The quantitative pre/post measures indicate that the program was successful at increasing par¬ents’ knowledge and self-efficacy, and the qualitative data help to expand upon the ways that parents perceived the impact or benefit of the program for their families. Implications for educators, advocates, and policymakers center on the impact of parent-focused programs on knowledge gains and how that knowledge transforms the parent–child relationship. As schools and communities seek to engage with families to increase Latina/o student post-high school options, this program and these findings can provide both context and content for doing so

Learning to advocate: Evaluating a new course

The authors share the formative evaluation of a counseling elective, Social Justice Advocacy. Researchers used thematic analysis to code student weekly reflection journals. Emergent themes included (a) redefining social justice and advocacy, (b) reflecting on privilege, (c) expanding from advocacy for to advocacy with, and (d) shifting into action. The findings have implications for counselor educators interested in developing a similar course and value for professional counselors who wish to improve their advocacy for clients

Barriers to college access for Latino adolescents: A comparison of existing theoretical frameworks

A comprehensive description of barriers to college access for Latino/a adolescents is an important step toward improving educational outcomes. However, relevant scholarship on barriers has not been synthesized in a way that promotes coherent formulation of intervention strategies or constructive scholarly discussion. The goal of this article is to synthesize the barriers literature briefly as a basis for comparing and evaluating possible frameworks for addressing barriers. The bridging multiple worlds model, social capital theory, and social cognitive career theory are 3 possible frameworks for addressing barriers to college access for Latinos/as. Implications are given for future barriers research and programmatic interventions