The relationship between the perception of school violence and gender in West Virginia

This study examined the perceptions of 659 students in the 6th, 9th, and 12th grades in three West Virginia counties. The students were given a survey that consisted of eleven scenarios. Each scenario suggested a potentially violent situation. The student participating in the survey was asked to rate each scenario on a 5-point Likert scale. Within the four versions of the survey, gender was alternated so that a different ratio of fear responses could be determined in relation to gender. The results of the responses of the actual male and female subjects in each scenario were examined. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. Chronbach’s alpha showed an alpha level of .8224. Results showed that male and female subjects perceived the male student to be more aggressive than the female student in ten out of the eleven scenarios. Out of the 22 possible scenarios (11 scenarios with female students and 11 scenarios with male students), the results of this study identified three statistically significant scenarios

What Students Tell Us About School If We Ask

This article examines what school climate factors students perceive as helping them be successful in school, and what school administrators can do to aid the process. Specifically, the questions that drove this inquiry were How does sociocultural theory impact student voice and student engagement in the classroom? How does caring pedagogy impact student voice and student engagement in the classroom? What school climate factors do students perceive as helping them to be successful in school

Structure and Rheology of the Sandhill Corner Shear Zone, Norumbega Fault System, Maine: a Study of a Fault from the Base of the Seismogenic Zone

Determining the structure and rheology of a seismogenic fault at frictional-to-viscous transition (FVT) depths is vital for understanding its strength and behavior. Few studies describe a fault from within this depth level, so the architecture of a shear zone at these depths as well as the effect of transient coseismic and postseismic deformation on the rheology of the shear zone is poorly-understood. The Sandhill Corner strand of the Paleozoic Norumbega fault system of Maine is the one of the few known examples of a subvertical, strike-slip fault exhumed from FVT depths. Using a suite of samples collected from the Sandhill Corner shear zone, this study (a) identifies coseismic and postseismic structures; (b) investigates the history of deformation from quartz data; (c) characterizes the across-strike structure; and (d) considers the strength and rheology of a shear zone within the FVT. The shear zone initially localized along the contact between two rheologically-contrasting units. Quartz microstructural data from monomineralic quartz ribbons suggest a history of initial localization at relatively higher temperatures influenced by a strong pre-existing crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) followed by a lower temperature overprint. Based on maps showing the spatial distribution of rock type, pseudotachylyte, quartz microstructure, and quartz grain sizes, this study proposes across-strike divisions of an outer shear zone, an inner shear zone, and a shear zone core. In the outer shear zone, the lower temperature quartz overprint is variable with grain sizes of 10-80μm. In the inner shear zone, the quartz grains are completely overprinted with grain sizes of 10-20μm, indicating flow stresses of 60-100MPa. Contrasting quartz misorientation and CPO data also distinguish the inner shear zone from the outer shear zone. The shear zone core is a zone of ultramylonite/phyllonite contained within the inner shear zone that is coincident with the lithologic contact. The ultra fine-grained, micaceous ultramylonite/phyllonite of the shear zone core derived largely from deformed pseudotachylyte would have promoted grain size sensitive, diffusion-mediated creep in the matrix surrounding quartz ribbons, leading to the formation of the weakened fault core that flowed at stresses lower than those estimated from the quartz grain sizes

Petrology, Structural Geology, and Significance of Mn-Andalusite from the Lower Ortega Quartzite, Tusas MTS., NM, USA

The Proterozoic syn-orogenic supra-crustal package exposed in the Tusas Mountain Range in northern New Mexico includes the anomalously thick, clean, ultramature Ortega Formation quartzite (Bauer and Williams, 1989). A unique Mn-bearing horizon spans the basal contact of the quartzite and contains Mn-andalusite, quartz, hematite, rutile, zircon, monazite, phyllosilicates, and locally kyanite and gahnite in intermittent aluminous, hematite-bearing layers, on the surface of cross-beds, concentrated in high strain zones, and on cleavage planes. Large-scale Mn zoning in Mn-andalusite results from a decrease in Mn content away from localized Mn highs (XMn of up to 0.76) that commonly correspond with the location of high-Mn core regions. High Mn core regions are included in Mn-andalusite, preserve some of the earliest fabrics, and are associated with sedimentary structures (i.e. cross beds and graded beds). Both hematite and rutile from the Mn horizon are rich in trace elements, and hematite contains zones of rutile mineralization that create patchy/mottled, wormy, cross-hatched, and/or banded textures within the hematite that could be linked with oxidation-exsolution textures in ilmenite and spinel. The Mn horizon may be a result of (1) the formation of an Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide crust through extensive lateritic weathering of the metavolcanic units and/or (2) the chemical deposition of Fe and Mn phases in an oxygen stratified enriched basin environment. Mn-andalusite preserves subtle textures in the Mn distribution and interference colors of the birefringence that can be used to understand mineral replacement and microstructural relationships in otherwise an well-annealed quartzite. A feathery texture that resembles the vi crystal habit of a phyllosilicate, such as pyrophyllite, locally preserves crenulation cleavages. High-Mn halos around kyanite and localized areas of low Mn content in Mn-andalusite that mimic crystal shapes together represent areas of kyanite replacement. The general tectonic histories preserved in the Mn-andalusite layer of the Hopewell Lake-Jawbone Mountain area, Quartzite Peak, and Kiowa Mountain of the Tusas Mountains include the growth of an M1 mineral assemblage in association with D1 (kyanite and/or pyrophyllite), the growth of an M2 assemblage post-D2 (kyanite and/or Mn-andalusite), and the growth of an M3 assemblage syn-D3 (a second generation of kyanite and/or Mn-andalusite). In the Hopewell Lake-Jawbone Mountain region, Mn-andalusite of the Hopewell anticline preserves phyllosilicate defined crenulation cleavages while the Jawbone syncline is dominated by a history of only kyanite growth suggesting a metamorphic divide between the anticline and syncline that could be a result of the movement along a late-stage D3 fault at or near Route 64. At Kiowa Mountain, high-Mn halos and low Mn regions suggest that Mn-andalusite replaced kyanite when changing P-T conditions during M2 lead to an Mn-andalusite-only M2 assemblage. Textures preserved in the Mn-distribution and interference colors of Mnandalusite are an essential tool for understanding the structural and metamorphic histories of the Mn horizon and the Ortega Formation quartzite

Racial Disparities in the Association Between Stress and Preterm Birth

Background: High levels of maternal stress have been linked to preterm births. However, findings from previous studies are inconsistent due to the varied use of stress measures. This study examined the effect of maternal stress on preterm birth, using both psychosocial and physiological measures. Methods: This study was conducted among 231 pregnant women enrolled during their first prenatal care visit. Presence of stress was assessed at enrollment using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Stressful Life Events Inventory (SLEI). Samples of maternal salivary cortisol were obtained during the first trimester and birth outcomes were ascertained at delivery. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to assess the association between stress and preterm birth. Results: The majority of the study participants were Black, not married, less educated and low income. There was an association between cortisol level and preterm birth. Per 1µg/dL increase in cortisol level, the odds of preterm birth increased by 26%. The increase was accentuated in Blacks where a unit increase in cortisol level was associated with higher odds of preterm birth (29%). Conclusions: Stress measures using PSS and SLEI did not reveal a statistically significant association with preterm birth. Health care and public health professionals should be aware of the association between increased cortisol level and preterm birth. Salivary cortisol may be a better predictor of preterm birth than PSS and SLEI

CEAC Update, Vol. 1, Iss. 3

CEAC Update, newsletter of the Collaborative for Evaluation and Assessment Capacity, vol. 1, iss. 3

Individual and county-level religious participation, corporal punishment, and physical abuse of children: An exploratory study

Parental religiosity has been associated with corporal punishment. However, most of this research has focused exclusively on Christians and has not examined physical abuse. In addition, little is known about how the larger religious environment might be associated with discipline behaviors. In this exploratory study, we examine how individual- and county-level religious attendance are related to corporal punishment and physical abuse. We sampled and surveyed 3,023 parents of children aged 12 and younger from 50 mid-sized California cities. We used weighted Poisson models to calculate the frequency of corporal punishment and physical abuse in the past year. Parents who attend religious groups used corporal punishment more frequently than parents who did not attend religious groups. However, those who lived in counties with greater rates of religious participation used corporal punishment less frequently than those living in counties with lower rates of religious participation. There were no effects for religious participation on physical abuse at the individual or county level. This exploratory study suggests that parents who attend religious groups may be more likely to use some types of physical discipline with children. Religious groups could be imparting parenting norms supporting corporal punishment at the individual level. More research examining specific doctrines and faiths is needed to validate the study findings

Drug Use, the Drug Environment, and Child Physical Abuse and Neglect

Although drug use is considered a risk factor for child maltreatment, very little work has examined how the drug environment may affect physical abuse and neglect by parents. Utilizing information from a telephone survey with 2,597 respondents from 43 cities with valid police data on narcotics incidents, we analyzed the relationship between drug use, drug availability, and child maltreatment using multilevel models. City-level rates of drug abuse and dependence were related to more frequent physical abuse. Parents who use drugs in areas with greater availability of drugs reported more physical abuse and physical neglect. Emotional support was protective of all types of maltreatment. While most child welfare interventions focus on reducing parental drug use in order to reduce child abuse, these findings suggest environmental prevention or neighborhood strengthening approaches designed to reduce the supply of illicit drugs may also reduce child abuse through multiple mechanisms

Activity Spaces: Assessing Differences in Alcohol Exposures and Alcohol Use for Parents

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in GeoJournal. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10708-019-10059-5.Parental alcohol use and alcohol outlet densities in residential areas are related to risk for child maltreatment. However, some parents spend significant time outside of their residential neighborhood. Thus, we may not be accurately assessing how alcohol environments are related to risks for problematic parenting. Here, we examine how residential environments and activity spaces are related to outlet density and whether drinking events in our sample of parents differ by location (e.g., routine vs. rare locations) and whether their children are present. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 60 parents living in four cities in the San Francisco Bay area who provided information on where they spent time, where they drank, and whether children were present. We constructed measures of activity spaces (e.g., convex hull polygons) and activity patterns (e.g., shortest network distance) and calculated outlet density in each. Density of alcohol outlets for residential Census tract was not related to density of the activity space and activity pattern measures. Alcohol use occurred more frequently (regardless of whether their children were present) inside activity spaces operationalized as convex hull polygons or two standard deviational ellipses. Measures that capture larger activity space areas (e.g., convex hull polygons, two standard deviational ellipses) may better model where people spend time, regardless of whether the location is routine or rare. By continuing to use activity spaces to explore relationships between outlet densities, drinking behaviors, and problems, we can start to ascertain those mechanisms by which outlets may affect local problems.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (P60-AA-006282

Research on Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Earth and Space Sciences Teacher Education

In order to fully engage with the vision of the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the NGSS, our nation needs a diverse and well prepared K-12 science teacher workforce. And in order for ESS to gain equal status with other sciences, the geoscience community must ensure that the K-12 science teacher workforce is adequately prepared to teach ESS core knowledge and practices. This is a challenging endeavor and complicated by the fact that the K-12 teacher education landscape is highly variable across institutions in terms of how much ESS content is included, how programs are structured, and how ESS fits into the larger institutional context. Teacher education exists in a complex landscape that involve many domains of research. This theme chapter focuses on teacher education research that most directly aligns to the undergraduate teaching and learning experience. Three grand challenges emerged from discussion and reflections on the existing literature and are poised to guide future research on undergraduate K-12 teacher education