Top Ten Reasons to Seek Professional Challenges

When we first enter a new role in a profession, the challenges for growth are constant and almost overwhelming. As we gain experience and confidence, there is always a chance that what was once \u27novel\u27 becomes routine. Seeking professional challenges are the answer to remaining motivated and productive as we move from novice to expert. This past spring, I chose to take my own advice and engage in a role that was new me ... serving as an overseas school evaluator

School Accreditation: An Opportunity for Administrator Professional Development

School accreditation is generally viewed as a means of assuring quality in terms of programs, personnel, services, and operations. Accreditation in P-12 schools is generally conducted by state agencies and/or non-profit organizations. One prominent non-profit organization, Advanced, is now “involved with 23,000 public and private schools and districts in 30 states and 65 countries and serving nearly 15 million students. This organization is generally considered one of the world’s largest educational communities and the recent creation of Advanced is the beginning of a new journey in the century-long histories of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), and the National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE). Through AdvancED, NCA CASI and SACS CASI will transition from setting standards for their respective regions to establishing unified quality standards for education in a global society. In essence, the transformation is from regional accreditation to a global system of accreditation, continuous improvement, and research.” (Welcome to AdvancED. Advancing excellence in education worldwide. 2007

K-12 Virtual Schools, Accreditation, and Leadership: What Are the Issues?

When I was young, I attended my neighborhood school. It was a square brick building with three floors and was situated on a corner just five blocks from my home. That building was torn down not long ago, and I asked my family to save a brick from that building to remind me of all the experiences I had there learning to read, use math, discover other countries, understand basic scientific principles, and communicate

Portfolio Analysis: Documenting the Progress and Performance of Educational Administration Students..

The field of educational administration continues to evolve as practitioners and researchers face the challenges of preparing leaders for schools

Power and the Role of the Superintendent

As schools move further into the 21st century, there is a strong need for education leaders and those who train them to prepare students for a future that is decidedly different from the past and to do so in a high stakes accountability environment. In meeting these challenges, school superintendents encounter politics in every arena and constantly use a variety of types of power to accomplish their goals

Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Polymorphism and Birth Timing: Pathway Analysis Among African American Women

Background: Timing of birth is a major determinant of newborn health. African American women are at increased risk for early birth, particularly via the inflammatory pathway. Variants of the IL1RN gene, which encode the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) protein, are implicated in early birth. The biological pathways linking these variables remain unclear. Evidence also suggests that inflammatory pathways differ by race; however, studies among African American women are lacking. Objectives: We assessed whether an IL1RN variant was associated with timing of birth among African American women and whether this relationship was mediated by lower anti-inflammatory IL-1Ra production or related to a decrease in inhibition of proinflammatory IL-1β production. Methods: A candidate gene study using a prospective cohort design was used. We collected blood samples at 28–32 weeks of gestation among African American women experiencing an uncomplicated pregnancy (N = 89). IL1RN single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2637988 was genotyped, and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated IL-1Ra and IL-1β production was quantified. Medical record review determined timing of birth. Results: Women with GG genotype gave birth earlier than women with AA/AG genotypes (b* = .21, p = .04). There was no indirect effect of IL1RN SNP rs2637988 allele status on timing of birth through IL-1Ra production, as evidenced by a nonsignificant product of coefficients in mediational analyses (ab = .006, 95% CI [−0.05, 0.13]). Women with GG genotype showed less inhibition of IL-1β production for a unit positive difference in IL-1Ra production than women with AA/AG genotypes (b* = .93, p = .03). Greater IL-1β production at 28–32 weeks of pregnancy was marginally associated with earlier birth (b* = .21, p = .05). Discussion: Women with GG genotype may be at risk for earlier birth because of diminished IL-1β inhibition, allowing for initiation of a robust inflammatory response upon even mild immune challenge. Study of inflammatory contributions to early birth among African American women may be key to identifying potential prognostic markers of risk and targeted preventive interventions

Longitudinal Association of Maternal Attempt to Lose Weight During the Postpartum Period and Child Obesity at Age 3 Years

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/93678/1/oby.2011.25.pd

Association of Intrauterine Exposure to Maternal Diabetes and Obesity With Type 2 Diabetes in Youth: The SEARCH Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVE—Limited data exist on the association between in utero exposure to maternal diabetes and obesity and type 2 diabetes in diverse youth. These associations were explored in African-American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white youth participating in the SEARCH Case-Control Study

Occupation-Related Differences in the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome

OBJECTIVE—To investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the Spanish working population and determine how the prevalence varies according to occupation and sex