Trends in Undergraduate General Education in the U.S., the Texas Core Curriculum, and Communication Course Requirements

In October 2011, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board revised Texas Core Curriculum (TCC) rules impacting all public higher education institutions in Texas. The new rules were implemented in the fall semester of 2014. In this study, we review the history of undergraduate general education requirements in the United States and recent changes to the TCC. Then to determine how recent changes reflect historical trends in general education and affect the course offerings of departments of English and communication, we use descriptive statistics to examine courses included under the TCC Communication Foundational Component Area of 37 state universities and 53 community colleges. Findings indicate the number of re-quired English and speech communication courses decreased both at community colleges (-11.5%) and universities (-15.9%), signaling a shift toward providing students greater choice in course selection which could impact academic programs in the years to come.Educatio

Environment and Obesity in the National Children\u27s Study

Objective: In this review we describe the approach taken by the National Children’s Study (NCS), a 21-year prospective study of 100,000 American children, to understanding the role of environmental factors in the development of obesity. Data sources and extraction: We review the literature with regard to the two core hypotheses in the NCS that relate to environmental origins of obesity and describe strategies that will be used to test each hypothesis. Data synthesis: Although it is clear that obesity in an individual results from an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, control of the obesity epidemic will require understanding of factors in the modern built environment and chemical exposures that may have the capacity to disrupt the link between energy intake and expenditure. The NCS is the largest prospective birth cohort study ever undertaken in the United States that is explicitly designed to seek information on the environmental causes of pediatric disease. Conclusions: Through its embrace of the life-course approach to epidemiology, the NCS will be able to study the origins of obesity from preconception through late adolescence, including factors ranging from genetic inheritance to individual behaviors to the social, built, and natural environment and chemical exposures. It will have sufficient statistical power to examine interactions among these multiple influences, including gene–environment and gene–obesity interactions. A major secondary benefit will derive from the banking of specimens for future analysis

Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults

This report was prepared to assist federal, state, and local policy makers and program leaders, as well as employers, nonprofit organizations, and other community partners, in developing and enhancing policies and programs to improve young adults' health, safety, and well-being. The report also suggests priorities for research to inform policy and programs for young adults.Young adulthood - ages approximately 18 to 26 - is a critical period of development with long-lasting implications for a person's economic security, health and well-being. Young adults are key contributors to the nation's workforce and military services and, since many are parents, to the healthy development of the next generation. Although 'millennials' have received attention in the popular media in recent years, young adults are too rarely treated as a distinct population in policy, programs, and research. Instead, they are often grouped with adolescents or, more often, with all adults. Currently, the nation is experiencing economic restructuring, widening inequality, a rapidly rising ratio of older adults, and an increasingly diverse population. The possible transformative effects of these features make focus on young adults especially important. A systematic approach to understanding and responding to the unique circumstances and needs of today's young adults can help to pave the way to a more productive and equitable tomorrow for young adults in particular and our society at large

Teacher Evaluation Process In Evangelical Christian Schools

The difficulty in developing an effective program of teacher evaluation is seen in the literature as stemming from the administrators\u27 and teachers\u27 different perspectives of evaluation. In this tenor the problem investigated four facets of an evaluation process: the need, purpose, procedure, and result of a teacher evaluation program found in evangelical Christian schools. The purpose was fourfold: To compare the responses of the experienced, Christian day-school teacher to those of the administrator of the Christian day-school as to the (1) need, (2) purpose, (3) procedure, and (4) result of an evaluation process found in their schools. The study was conducted in sixty-six Christian schools throughout California. Each institution had an enrollment of 400 students or more and a teaching staff of twelve or more members. An instrument based on Redfern\u27s evaluation plan was used to survey the population. One-way analysis of variance procedures was used to test Hypotheses 1-11. The findings showed differences in agreement with respect to responses among Christian educators in terms of their perceptions of a teacher evaluation process. There were many differences with regard to having a need for an evaluation process and its results. Differences were evidenced with respect to purposes of an evaluation process. There were a few differences with regard to guidelines in evaluation procedures. There were many differences in terms of characteristics of and post-activities following an evaluation conference, appropriateness of the criteria for evaluations, and the attempt of the administration to clearly define criteria used. However, the findings evidenced agreement with regard to having a pre-conference and what areas are discussed within that conference. Further replication studies among schools with enrollment of less than 400 and fewer than twelve teachers, studies using other experts\u27 evaluation plans, broadening of the school of the study to a national survey and studies indicating what priorities of evaluation may exist are recommended

Contaminant Metals as Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Exposure to environmental pollutants is linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Beyond the extensive evidence for particulate air pollution, accumulating evidence supports that exposure to nonessential metals such as lead, cadmium, and arsenic is a significant contributor to cardiovascular disease worldwide. Humans are exposed to metals through air, water, soil, and food and extensive industrial and public use. Contaminant metals interfere with critical intracellular reactions and functions leading to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation that result in endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, epigenetic dysregulation, dyslipidemia, and changes in myocardial excitation and contractile function. Lead, cadmium, and arsenic have been linked to subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary artery stenosis, and calcification as well as to increased risk of ischemic heart disease and stroke, left ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure, and peripheral artery disease. Epidemiological studies show that exposure to lead, cadmium, or arsenic is associated with cardiovascular death mostly attributable to ischemic heart disease. Public health measures reducing metal exposure are associated with reductions in cardiovascular disease death. Populations of color and low socioeconomic means are more commonly exposed to metals and therefore at greater risk of metal-induced cardiovascular disease. Together with strengthening public health measures to prevent metal exposures, development of more sensitive and selective measurement modalities, clinical monitoring of metal exposures, and the development of metal chelation therapies could further diminish the burden of cardiovascular disease attributable to metal exposure.S

The assistant principal\u27s role in special education: An inquiry into the supervision of special education at the building level

The purpose of this study was to examine the roles and responsibilities of elementary level assistant principals in the supervision of special education at the building level. Elementary assistant principals in Virginia (N = 219) were surveyed to identify delegated roles and responsibilities, perceptions of level of preparedness to perform assigned duties, and formal preparation for these duties. The survey addressed five leadership domains---Organization, Collaboration, Instruction, Program Evaluation, and Professional Development. Findings indicate that assistant principals fulfill organization duties more often than duties in the other domains, and felt more prepared for this area of responsibility as well. Knowledge and skills were most often attributed to conference attendance and interactions with special education teachers. Findings suggest that assistant principals obtain their knowledge and skills to supervise special education by attending conferences, and reading special education journals. However, they rely even more on special education teachers for information regarding special education

Revitalizing Brownfields and Greyfields at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to Promote Urban Forestry Management

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), formally known as X-10 or Clinton Laboratory, was established during the early 1940s to house the world’s first nuclear reactor. The site was originally used for the production and separation of plutonium during World War II. Today, the ORNL site is used for multiple purposes including research facilities and utility infrastructure, to meet the national goals and objectives of the Department of Energy. Activities associated with its historical and contemporary use has led to severe land disturbance along with excessive inputs of toxic chemical waste. Many issues that impact the ORNL campus and the surrounding forest land-use change and development, land erosion, soil contamination, and compaction, altered vegetation, forest pest, and invasive plants. A study was conducted to (1) investigate trees species diversity, determine diameter at breast height (DBH) distribution, evaluate tree health, and to quantify ecosystem services and values associated with landscape trees. (2) chemical soil composition within managed vegetation sites on the ORNL campus. There were a total of 1160 trees, composed of 62 species, and 30 genera. The species with a high relative abundance are Acer rubrum (10.7%) and Cercis canadensis (9.6%). The most important species in terms of percent population, leaf area size, and structural value are Acer rubrum (19.3), Quercus palustris (17.4), Juniperus virginiana (15.0), Pinus strobus (11.2), and Quercus phellos (7.1). Basic soil properties, such as pH and total element content were characterized. The concentrations of twenty-one elements were determined: Al, As, Ba, Ca, Co, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sr, and Zn. The elemental concentrations in soils from the ORNL campus were compared to those of native soil profiles of the eastern Tennessee region and median levels for uncontaminated world soils. There were significant correlations between elements Al, Cr, Fe, K, Li, Ni, Pb, and Sr. Results show that elemental concentrations in soil samples from the ORNL site are within the ranges tabulated for soil profiles of the eastern Tennessee region, suggesting that metal contamination has not occurred

Report of the PICES/NPRB Workshop on Integration of Ecological Indicators of the North Pacific with Emphasis on the Bering Sea

Ecosystem indicators are part of a larger process that considers policy-level goals for an ecosystem. Other elements include operational objectives and performance criteria. The eastern Bering Sea is advanced in application of ecosystem-based considerations to the management of marine resources. For instance, an Ecosystem Considerations appendix is prepared by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) each year for the annual Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports published by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC). This report is reviewed annually by NPFMC’s plan teams and Scientific and Statistical Committee, and scientific advice is provided annually to managers based on ecosystem trends relative to managed fish species. Similarly, the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) prepared a North Pacific Ecosystem Status report in 2004 and is beginning to plan for an updated version of this report. Both reports can be improved by developing consensus on operational objectives and appropriate indicators. Progress toward operational objectives and development of appropriate indicators was made by conducting the following four activities during an international workshop held on June 1–3, 2006, in Seattle (Washington, U.S.A.): 1. Involve the Bering Sea and international communities in developing of a set of operational objectives for the southeastern Bering Sea ecosystem; 2. Evaluate two status reports with the goal of integrating results and streamlining the presentation. The two reports are: a. NPFMC. 2005. Appendix C: Ecosystem Considerations for 2006. North Pacific Fishery Management Council, Anchorage, Alaska (http://access.afsc.noaa.gov/reem/EcoWeb /index.cfm); b. PICES. 2004. Marine Ecosystems of the North Pacific, PICES Special Publication 1, 280 p. (http://www.pices.int/publications/special_publications/NPESR/2005/npesr_2005.aspx); 3. Investigate methodologies that monitor system-wide structural changes within the marine ecosystem; 4. Identify steps to validate indicator performance, improve the monitoring network, and integrate into predictive models. In preparing the workshop a focus was on the southeastern Bering Sea because it represents the center of the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands large marine ecosystem (LME), one of three LMEs (the other two are the Gulf of Alaska and Arctic Ocean) defining the North Pacific Research Board’s (NPRB) research region. This endeavour was funded by NPRB. Although the project focused on the southeastern Bering Sea, the intent of this exercise was to provide insights, findings, and recommendations more broadly applicable to the North Pacific and its adjacent seas, a larger area representing the PICES region, including waters bordering China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Canada, and the United States. Workshop presentations included three white papers on (1) development of operational objectives for the southeastern Bering Sea ecosystem; (2) ecosystem-based management for the oceans: a perspective for fisheries in the Bering Sea; and (3) ecological indicators: software development. These papers were followed by presentations on indicator use in other regions with advice for the North Pacific and reports on the status of the southeastern Bering Sea. A series of break-out groups was then convened to discuss the Ecosystem Considerations appendix of the SAFE report and PICES North Pacific Ecosystem Status report, objectives and use of indicators, matching indicators to objectives, methods to monitor ecosystemwide structural changes, and means toward communicating results. Although this project was ambitious, substantial progress was made, and the following recommendations resulted from the workshop:Ecosystem Objectives and Indicators 1. Ecosystem-level and community-level conservation thresholds are relatively new ideas in marine conservation. Since they will require new kinds of indicators, research is needed for their development and application to the Bering Sea. 2. New research is needed to understand how to synthesize the large set of Bering Sea data records into a reasonable number of ecosystem status indicators. 3. A formal process of evaluating and selecting ecosystem indicators is a general requirement. The Alaska Fisheries Science Center should consider developing and applying such a process to the indicators in its Ecosystem Considerations appendix. 4. Enhancements to the ocean/ecosystem monitoring network are needed to fill data gaps at ecological pulse points (plankton, benthic infauna and epifauna, seasonal species interactions and movements, small pelagics, and cephalopods) to improve predictive models and the development of ecosystem indicators. 5. More collaboration between modelers at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center and the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, and elsewhere is encouraged to link various climate/ecosystem and conservation/assessment models, and to use these models to evaluate management strategies. Socio-economics While the workshop did not address socio-economic operational objectives for the Bering Sea and North Pacific, linkages between the well-being of people and healthy marine ecosystems require a level of attention comparable to those for ecosystem conservation objectives: 6. Socio-economic objectives related with the marine environment should be developed for the region, along with their indicators and reference points. 7. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council should play a central role in shepherding the development of these socio-economic objectives and indicators for the southeastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska ecosystems; 8. There is a need to conduct scientific and policy analyses of pathways to achieve socio-economic objectives while remaining within ecosystem-level conservation limits. Communication 9. Plans should be developed at an early stage on how the information from indicators can best be communicated to scientists, policy and decision makers, and the general public. The plans should include publishing concise, attractive executive summaries of major ecosystem status reports that will describe important trends and patterns in marine ecosystems for non-scientists. 10. To reach policy makers and the public in Asian countries, future iterations of the Synthesis chapter in the PICES North Pacific Ecosystem Status report should be published in multiple languages. 11. The development by the National Marine Fisheries Service of an Ecosystem Considerations website greatly increased access to time series of ecosystem indicators for the Alaska region, and should be maintained and enhanced. 12. An overview of the status of the Bering Sea ecosystem(s) should be presented at the annual Marine Science in Alaska Symposium to foster broader communication among the diversity of regional scientists, managers and the public. Specific recommendations from individuals/groups can be found under Discussion Group Results in this report. (Document has 121 pages.