Freshman Course Credit and Unexcused Absences: An Arkansas Policy Analysis

This policy analysis examines the implementation of A.C.A. 6-18-222, a statewide policy in Arkansas that addresses unexcused absences and course credit consequences for students. Using anonymized student-level data from the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years (N=65,651), the study explores variations in policy implementation across districts and investigates the relationship between absences and course failures for freshmen. Our results highlight the wide variability in the number of allowed unexcused absences and the language of course credit consequence among districts. Additionally, our multivariate logistic regressions reveal FRL-eligible students more likely to fail a course after reaching their district’s unexcused absence threshold. Lastly, we find once students reach their district’s unexcused absence threshold, they more likely to fail a core course compared to a non-core course. Our findings provide insights into the variations of local policy implementation for student academic outcomes

Freshman Course Credit and Unexcused Absences: An Arkansas Policy Analysis

This policy analysis examines the implementation of A.C.A. 6-18-222, a statewide policy in Arkansas that addresses unexcused absences and course credit consequences for students. Using anonymized student-level data from the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years (N=65,651), the study explores variations in policy implementation across districts and investigates the relationship between absences and course failures for freshmen. Our results highlight the wide variability in the number of allowed unexcused absences and the language of course credit consequence among districts. Additionally, our multivariate logistic regressions reveal FRL-eligible students more likely to fail a course after reaching their district’s unexcused absence threshold. Lastly, we find once students reach their district’s unexcused absence threshold, they more likely to fail a core course compared to a non-core course. Our findings provide insights into the variations of local policy implementation for student academic outcomes

GCSE results: the hidden but enduring effects of parental social class

Sarah Stopforth, Vernon Gayle, and Ellen Boeren discuss the enduring nature of social class-based inequalities in the UK and demonstrate the magnitude of the gap between pupils from the most advantaged and those from the less advantaged social classes

Vulnerable learners in the age of COVID-19: A scoping review

© 2020, The Author(s). This scoping review provides an overview of COVID-19 approaches to managing unanticipated school closures and available literature related to young people learning outside-of-school. A range of material has been drawn upon to highlight educational issues of this learning context, including psychosocial and emotional repercussions. Globally, while some countries opted for a mass school shut-down, many schools remained open for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This partial closure not only enabled learning in smaller targeted groups but also offered a safe sanctuary for those who needed a regulated and secure environment. In Australia, if full school closures were to be enforced over a long period, a significant proportion of students from more vulnerable backgrounds would likely experience persistent disadvantage through a range of barriers: long-term educational disengagement, digital exclusion, poor technology management, and increased psychosocial challenges. This scoping review combines research on technology availability and learning, with analysis of the long-term educational impacts of navigating the COVID-19 disruption

An investigation into the cause of the inner dark areas and outer lighter areas (ghosting) seen in dynamically-created two-dimensional bare footprints

Dynamic bare footprints differ from static bare footprints through the presence of additional, lighter markings around the rear of the heel print and apices of the toe print areas. These images can appropriately be described as inner dark and outer ghosting features. To date, the functional cause of both features has not been understood. To gain such an understanding could potentially allow the further development and use of these features in forensic identification. The aim of this project was to investigate the causes of the inner dark and outer ghosting features seen in dynamic bare footprints through an observational, practice-based action research approach within a gait laboratory. Volunteer male participants provided bare footprints on inkless paper taped to a Kistler force plate with video cameras situated either side. Ground reaction force data were collected as the footprints were formed and the event recorded using video cameras to allow these data to be correlated later. The findings suggest that the ghosting at the heel is the result of splaying of the fibro fatty pad, while that at the toes is the result of the distal ends of the toes coming into contact with the ground as the heel is lifted. Footprint, ground reaction force and video data comparisons showed that the inner dark area of the heel print corresponded with the main body of the heel contacting the ground. Outer ghosting corresponded with a backward splaying of the fat pad and the heel strike transient spike in vertical ground reaction force during increased loading. The inner dark area of the toes corresponded with a longer period of toe contact with the ground. Outer ghosting corresponded with the decreasing vertical ground reaction force and shorter contact time as the toes were leaving the ground towards the end of the contact phase of gait. Although the sample size was limited, these are new appreciations which could facilitate the use of the inner dark features in identification to provide additional points for comparison in cases involving dynamic bare footprints. Further work is now indicated to study these features in different populations and under varying conditions

Rethinking elder abuse : words and actions

The main purpose of this study was to determine the quality and impact of various presentations of elder abuse information to establish the most effective ways to educate the public about elder abuse. Secondary to this purpose was to explore aspects of restorative justice interventions for elder abuse cases. The first experiment involved three pamphlets with similar content that were presented with titles reflecting different conceptual frameworks; elder abuse, conflict resolution, and empowerment. The pamphlets were simultaneously made available at a seniors centre to determine any differences in frequency of pamphlet selection. Elder abuse was the least selected pamphlet, offering empirical evidence to the claim that people avoid materials with the words elder abuse on them. The second experiment involved students reading one of 6 pamphlets with similar content but with the wording varied on two dimensions; type of conceptual framework, and tone (emotional versus neutral wording). The student participants rated the quality and impact of the information, answered items about their knowledge, beliefs and attitudes about elder abuse, and provided some basic demographic information. Elder abuse pamphlets were rated to have higher impact than other messages. It appears that although elder abuse messages have the most impact for students, the seniors are less likely to pick up educational material using this language; so alternate wordings may be the best solution to deliver the message about elder abuse to the most people

Vulnerable learners in the age of COVID-19: A scoping review

© 2020, The Author(s). This scoping review provides an overview of COVID-19 approaches to managing unanticipated school closures and available literature related to young people learning outside-of-school. A range of material has been drawn upon to highlight educational issues of this learning context, including psychosocial and emotional repercussions. Globally, while some countries opted for a mass school shut-down, many schools remained open for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This partial closure not only enabled learning in smaller targeted groups but also offered a safe sanctuary for those who needed a regulated and secure environment. In Australia, if full school closures were to be enforced over a long period, a significant proportion of students from more vulnerable backgrounds would likely experience persistent disadvantage through a range of barriers: long-term educational disengagement, digital exclusion, poor technology management, and increased psychosocial challenges. This scoping review combines research on technology availability and learning, with analysis of the long-term educational impacts of navigating the COVID-19 disruption

Do you like school? Social class, gender, ethnicity and pupils’ educational enjoyment

This study investigates structural inequalities in educational enjoyment in a contemporary cohort of UK primary school children. Foundational studies in the sociology of education consistently indicate that the enjoyment of education is stratified by social class, gender, and ethnicity. Analysing data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), which is a major cohort study that tracks children born at the start of the 21st century, we examine children’s enjoyment of both school and individual academic subject areas. The overarching message is that at age 11 most children enjoy their education. The detailed empirical analyses indicate that educational enjoyment is stratified by gender, and there are small differences between ethnic groups. However, there is no convincing evidence of a social class gradient. These results challenge orthodox sociological views on the relationship between structural inequalities and educational enjoyment, and therefore question the existing theoretical understanding of the wider role of enjoyment in education

Recensement des ravageurs des îles du Pacifique

Dick Vernon, Sarah Pene et Makelesi Kora-Gonelevu décrivent comment une base de données sur les ravageurs permet aux agriculteurs du Pacifique d'exporter leurs produits et de protéger leurs îles des ravageurs et des maladies venus d'ailleurs