Are Best Practices in Literacy Culturally Relevant? An Investigation into What Primary Literacy Teachers Do to Teach Literacy Skills to Minority Students

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine if average primary (K-3) teachers were implementing best practices in literacy with culturally relevant teaching in their classroom practice. The cooperating district is located in southeastern Georgia and is a majority minority district. The school district personnel predominantly consists of White female teachers; however, the student population has become increasingly diverse. As a result, the need to teach literacy skills while incorporating the tenets of culturally relevant teaching is increasingly important. The study consisted of an online survey using the platform Survey Monkey and two focus group interviews. The survey was open to all 32 elementary and K-8 schools in the cooperating district, but only 11 principals agreed to permit their teachers participate. From a pool of approximately 250 teachers, 49 respondents completed the survey. The survey was also used to solicit participation in the focus group interviews. There were only six focus group participants, and two groups were held to accommodate everyone’s schedule. This study combined inductive coding and the principles of grounded theory to conduct a thematic analysis. From data analysis, six themes emerged that showed. Among the findings was the fact that most teachers adhere to many aspects of the best practices movement. Data analysis also revealed that half of the primary teachers in the cooperating district did not know enough about culturally relevant teaching to implement it in the classroom, with or without reconciling it to best practices

Making a \u27Dent in the Textbook Problem: Library E-Books for Course Readings: A Collaboration Between Department Faculty and the EMU Library

Project Overview EMU’s Women in Philanthropy granted $5,000 to purchase library e-book versions of titles requested by EMU faculty and lecturers for use with upcoming classes. The library used an online form to solicit requests and purchased those titles that were available in library e-book format. The WIP Grant provided options for students in many Summer and Fall 2015 classes. Usage statistics showed heavy use of the e-books, including more than 1853 user sessions and 173 book or chapter downloads. Surveys of faculty and student participants showed overall enthusiasm for use of library e-books in classes and only minor technical problems in using the e-books. The project also allowed library faculty to evaluate e-book platforms and format options and to refine support for library e-books used in courses

Academic Library Collection Support for Supply Chain Management

Many business schools now offer degrees in supply chain management (SCM); yet a review of the library literature shows no articles devoted to the topic of academic library support of SCM programs. This article provides practical information for academic librarians on developing collections to support SCM degrees. The article describes basic supply chain management concepts and identifies relevant Library of Congress subject headings for analyzing book collections. Since the largest collection costs in supporting SCM programs are for maintaining serial subscriptions, the author uses a number of techniques to compile lists of recommended scholarly journals and trade periodicals

The Long-Term Clinical Outcomes Following Autogenous Bone Grafting for Large-Volume Defects of the Knee: 12- to 21-Year Follow-Up

Objective: We report the long-term clinical outcomes of patients who underwent autogenous bone grafting of large-volume osteochondral defects of the knee due to osteochondritis dessicans (OCD) and osteonecrosis (ON). This is the companion report to one previous published on the biological response. We hypothesized that these grafts would integrate with host bone and the articular surface would form fibrocartilage providing an enduring clinical benefit. Design: Three groups (patients/knees) were studied: OCD without a fragment (n = 12/13), OCD with a partial fragment (n = 14/16), and ON (n = 25/26). Twenty-five of 52 patients were available for clinical follow-up between 12 and 21 years. Electronic medical records provided comparison clinical information. In addition, there were plain film radiographs, MRIs, plus repeat arthroscopy and biopsy on 14 patients. Results: Autogenous bone grafts integrated with the host bone. MRI showed soft tissue covering all the grafts at long-term follow-up. Biopsy showed initial surface fibrocartilage that subsequently converted to fibrocartilage and hyaline cartilage at 20 years. OCD patients had better clinical outcomes than ON patients. No OCD patients were asymptomatic at anytime following surgery. Half of the ON patients came to total knee replacement within 10 years. Conclusions: Autogenous bone grafting provides an alternative biological matrix to fill large-volume defects in the knee as a singular solution integrating with host bone and providing an enduring articular cartilage surface. The procedure is best suited for those with OCD. The treatment for large-volume articular defects by this method remains salvage in nature and palliative in outcome

The Biological Response following Autogenous Bone Grafting for Large-Volume Defects of the Knee: Index Surgery through 12 to 21 Years’ Follow-up

Objective: This report focuses on the biological events occurring at various intervals following autogenous bone grafting of large-volume defects of the knee joint’s femoral condyle secondary to osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) or osteonecrosis (ON). It was hypothesized that the autogenous bone graft would integrate and the portion exposed to the articular surface would form fibrocartilage, which would endure for years. Methods: Between September 29, 1987 and August 8, 1994, there were 51 patients treated with autogenous bone grafting for large-volume osteochondral defects. Twenty-five of the 51 patients were available for long-term follow-up up to 21 years. Patient follow-up was accomplished by clinical opportunity and intentional research. Videotapes were available on all index surgeries for review and comparison. All had preoperative and postoperative plain film radiographs. Long-term follow-up included MRI up to 21 years. Second-look arthroscopy and biopsy were obtained on 14 patients between 8 weeks and 20 years. Results: Radiological assessment showed the autogenous bone grafts integrated with the host bone. The grafts retained the physical geometry of the original placement. MRI showed soft tissue covering the grafts in all cases at long-term follow-up. Interval biopsy showed the surface covered with fibrous tissue at 8 weeks and subsequently converted to fibrocartilage with hyaline cartilage at 20 years. Conclusion: Autogenous bone grafting provides a matrix for large osteochondral defects that integrates with the host bone and results in a surface repair of fibrocartilage and hyaline cartilage that can endure for up to 20 years