Inclusive Schools for Students Served by Special Education: How Central Office Supports Principals

Principals shape school culture and the teaching practices that students experience and engage with every day. Today’s leaders need regular access to learning and support that will influence their ability to lead schools for social justice for students identified with disabilities. District leaders have a responsibility to develop and support principals to provide equitable and high-quality learning experiences for students who have been identified with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to analyze the Mountain Meadow School District’s role in supporting the development of leaders for social justice for students identified with a disability. This qualitative case study examined current practices and structures through interviews, document reviews and observations to discover how central office leaders support principals. A synthesis of school leadership for social justice frameworks (Capper, Theoharis, and Sebastian, 2006 & Theoharis, 2009) and The Five Dimensions of Central Office Transformation (Honig, Copland, Rainey, Lorton, and Newton, 2010) framework led to the development of the District Level Leadership for Social Justice Framework that was used to analyze the current practices and systems in the Mountain Meadow School District. The findings indicated that while MMSD supported a vision for equity for all students through their vision and strategic plan there were little to no explicit connections to the needs of students identified with a disability in principal professional learning. The examination of current practices and structures revealed four areas of focus for the district’s role in supporting the development of principals: development of the instructional leadership capacity of principals, system-wide focus on instructional practices, beliefs supporting equity, and leadership for special education. Three themes emerged from the analysis through the District Level Leadership for Social Justice Framework: assumptions that structures and practices would serve all students; coaching and data use were vehicles to provide support; and special education was a siloed area of work. Recommendations for improvement were made from an analysis of current practices and systems and informed by the District Level Leadership for Social Justice Framework. The synthesis of the findings related to current practices and systems and the District Level Leadership for Social Justice Framework provide the basis for recommendations for improvement and action as the Mountain Meadow School District strives to create socially just inclusive schools that consider the needs of each student identified with disabilities

The ecology of fear in estuarine communities: cascading effects of multiple predators

The role of predation has long influenced our understanding of ecological processes from the individual to the landscape level. Recent interest in the role of nonconsumptive effects of predators, or the consequences of prey defensive behaviors in response to predation risk, has revolutionized how ecologists perceive the role of predators in ecological communities. From focusing on how individual predators affect prey risk taking behaviors and foraging tactics, to the consequences of these behavioral shifts for ecosystem functions and services including primary production, nutrient cycling and energy transfer, we now know that the mere presence of predators can sometimes be more important than their lethal effects on prey density. However, predicting the cascading effects of multiple predator assemblages is often challenging and counterintuitive due to the consequences of behavioral interactions among predators and their prey. I tested the effects of predator presence, identity and richness on prey and basal resources in field and mesocosm experiments based on estuarine communities. By allowing predators to scare but not consume their prey, I examined the generality of nonconsumptive predator effects in these systems across multiple predator species. Predators had varying effects on prey density and the strength of a given prey antipredator behavior, with cascading effects on prey populations and resource dynamics over time. The presence of multiple predators heightened prey antipredator behavior, including reductions in foraging rates, and promoted basal resources despite changes in predation risk. Changes in predator diversity may have profound consequences for marine communities by altering the strength of both consumptive and nonconsumptive predator-prey interactions, with consequences for the strength of a trophic cascade. Complex food web models incorporating both consumptive and nonconsumptive pathways are necessary to understand and predict the effects of ongoing declines in predator abundance and diversity

An Examination of Strength Training Practices in a Sample of Varsity High School Athletic Programs in Idaho

The use of strength training, or resistance training to improve athletic performance, is growing among athletes of all ages. Currently, Idaho possesses no rules, regulations, and/or guidance for varsity high school athletics and strength training. PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to explore the current practices for varsity level high school athletes and strength training. Specifically, examined were: who designs and implements strength training programs for varsity high school athletes, what kinds of training activities they do for their programs, and whether the responsible party or emphasis of strength training changes depending on the gender of the athletes. METHODS: Coaches of soccer, basketball, and softball/baseball in three Idaho school districts were asked to complete an online survey. RESULTS: Seventy percent (34/48) of the coaches who were eligible to participate responded to the questionnaire. Approximately half (51.6%) of the respondents coached male athletes and 45.2% coached female athletes. The majority of coaches provided strength training opportunities for their athletes (84.3%), although only 37% required, participation. The majority of strength training programs were designed and implemented by either the physical education teachers (40.7%) or head coaches (25.9%). Physical education teachers designed and implemented the majority of the strength training programs for female athletes, whereas, head coaches designed and implemented the majority of strength training programs for male athletes. Coaches of both male and female athletes provided equal opportunities for strength training for their athletes, but coaches of male athletes were more likely to require their athletes to participate. Most programs included dynamic warm-ups and cool-downs, plyometrics, agility training, speed training, and conditioning and most programs were conducted three days a week (76%) for sessions lasting between 30 and 59 minutes (62.5%). Compared to their female counterparts, male athletes were more likely to strength train year round and train using more sessions per week. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide knowledge, where none exists, about the individuals who are responsible for designing and implementing high school strength training programs for three major sports in three large school districts in Idaho. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: If more is known about strength training practices in high schools with athletic teams in soccer, basketball, and baseball/softball, individuals responsible for designing programs can critically examine their own programs to ensure that programs are fundamentally sound

Aligning ICCP Certification With The IS2002 Model Curriculum: A New International Standard

This is a progress report on actions to align vendor neutral certification for computing and Information Systems professionals with academic standards as codified by the IS2002 Model Curriculum

An Examination of Current Practices and Gender Differences in Strength and Conditioning in a Sample of Varsity High School Athletic Programs

Currently, little is known about strength and conditioning programs at the high school level. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to explore current practices in strength and conditioning for varsity high school athletes in selected sports. Specifically examined were: who administers programs for these athletes, what kinds of training activities are done, and whether the responsible party or emphasis changes depending on the gender of the athletes. Coaches of varsity soccer, basketball, and softball/baseball in three large Idaho school districts were asked to complete an online survey. Sixty-seven percent (32/48) of the questionnaires were completed and used for the study. The majority of coaches (84%) provided strength and conditioning opportunities for their athletes, although only 37% required participation. Strength training programs were designed and implemented primarily by either physical education (PE) teachers or head coaches. Compared to coaches of male athletes, coaches of female athletes were less likely to know the credentials of their strength coaches, and they were less likely to use certified coaches to plan and implement their strength and conditioning programs. Most programs included dynamic warm-ups and cool-downs, plyometrics, agility training, speed training, and conditioning, and most programs were conducted three days a week (76%) for sessions lasting between 30 and 59 minutes (63%). Compared to their female counterparts, male athletes were more likely to have required training, participate in strength training year round, and train using more sessions per week. This study provides additional information related to the practice of strength and conditioning in a sample of high school athletic teams

The development of a method for the determination of acoustic characteristics of ventilating fans

http://www.archive.org/details/developmentofmet00reynU.S. Navy (U.S.N.) authors