Working Together for Children and Families: A Community Guide to Making the Most of Out-of-School Time

Outlines the MOST Initiative's approach to building a community-based, collaborative out-of-school time system in Boston, Chicago, and Seattle. Illustrates how each city interpreted the MOST process and provides a sampling of their activities

It's About Time: A Look at Out-of-School Time for Urban Teens

Investigates after-school opportunities and experiences for high school age youth in 21 U.S. cities, with a focus on Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, and Fort Worth. Includes a look at the steps necessary for building a citywide collaboration

/////// babaamiwizh – blood memory and how we carry ancestral histories /////// on memory, immersive theatre, improvisation, & absurdity

babaamiwizh – blood memory and how we carry intergenerational histories: a collection of fragmented stories and thoughts on making Indigenous art. These writings attempt to find the balance of an artist\u27s humanity, the artistic process and working with colonial institutions. I am stitching together my perspective on Indigeneity, museums and the process of repatriation, collaboration with trusted community members, as well as the land and its medicines

Witches Among Us: Elizabeth George Speare\u27s Social Commentary on McCarthyism in \u3ci\u3eThe Witch of Blackbird Pond\u3c/i\u3e

A two-time Newbery Award winning author, Elizabeth George Speare has written four novels, one work on nonfiction, and several plays and magazine articles. Teachers, students, and parents remember Speare\u27s works of fiction because of their ability to bring history to life. In her work The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Elizabeth George Speare writes about a young girl name Kit Tyler and her experiences with Puritans and witchcraft in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Speare describes the people and events of the novel in a memorable way that allows the reader to learn more about America in 1687 and Speare\u27s own commentary about her culture. When Speare wrote The Witch of Blackbird Pond in 1957, America had just endured Red Scare led by Senator Joe McCarthy. Just as the townspeople of Wethersfield feared witches, Americans feared Communists and the Soviet Union. The historical context in which Speare wrote The Witch of Blackbird Pond and the content o fthe novel suggest that Speare\u27s comments on America and McCarthyism

Two Studies Conceptualizing Physical Literacy for Assessment of High School Students in the United States

Purpose: Toward the advancement of physical literacy (PL) in the United States, the purpose of this dissertation was to operationalize the construct and work toward a foundational framework to which PL can be assessed. The purpose of Study 1 was to develop an operational conceptualization of PL via a modified Delphi approach. The purpose of Study 2 was to expand upon the findings from Study 1 by exploring adolescents\u27 perceptions of PL using repertory grid analysis (RGA). Methods: Study 1 used a sequential, mixed methods design. Participants (N=22) were national and international PL academics with peer-reviewed publications on PL or identified by professional organizations as the PL expert. The Delphi employed two rounds of data collection. The first round was an open-ended questionnaire, analyzed qualitatively. The second round was a questionnaire with Likert scale rating based upon the results of the first round. Study 2 also employed a mixed-methods design. Participants (N=17) were a convenient sample of adolescents (ages 14-17) in U.S. high schools. A structured interview protocol was used to collect data in line with established RGA methodology. The interview included (a) polarized questions regarding participants\u27 activity preferences (i.e., most/least favorite), choices (i.e., choose most/least often), and ideal (i.e., haven\u27;t tried but would/wouldn\u27t try); (b) triadic elicitation (i.e., compare/contrast) of activities; (c) semantic and opposite identification; (d) rating activities on 6-point personalized scale. Elements (i.e., activities) and constructs (i.e., perceptions of activity) were analyzed with frequency count, descriptive statistics and qualitatively analysis. Results: For Study 1, qualitative analysis revealed two overarching themes: PL is and PL is not. Within the theme of PL is, three subthemes emerged: autonomous application of movement, cognition, and response to adversity. Within the theme of PL is not there were two subthemes: determinants/outcomes of PL and determinants of physical activity (PA). For Study 2, a total of 88 elements and 123 constructs were identified. Constructs were organized into 23 construct categories. The most elicited construct category was active (i.e., participants\u27 perceived energy exertion). Participants preferred engaging in activities favored in the construct categories of familiarity (i.e., perceived comfort), identification (i.e., perceived suitableness), enjoyment (i.e., perceived fun) and activity competence (i.e., perceived good/bad at activity). In the element category PA choice, participants highly favored familiarity, activity competence, enjoyment and outcomes (i.e., perceived benefit). In the element category PA ideal, participants favored the construct category freedom (i.e., perceived level of control). Discussion/Conclusion: Overall, the results of this dissertation support an operational conceptualization of PL as an autonomous application of movement, constructed by the individual\u27s conception of movement and response to adversity. Study 2 built upon Study 1, exploring adolescent perceptions on what activities they choose to engage in / refrain from and why they choose to engage or refrain from PA. The results of Study 2 show emerging evidence of adolescents\u27 PL profiles, allowing future research to build upon this framework and establish an evidence-based PL assessment that is inclusive of all abilities and non-contextual in relation to age, skill, or location among U.S. high school students

A Note About the Cover Art

MYVIEWOFTHEWORLDISOBSCUREDBYSTEELBARSOFINCARCERATION Artist: Anonymous Acrylics on card This artist’s work is the product of a process he engaged in, to develop a language to express himself as a means of coping with imprisonment. Aged in his mid-fifties and serving a sentence at the Midlands Prison, he engages with education and is determined that his first experience of prison will also be his last. He has adopted an approach regarding his sentence as an “art school” rather than a “prison” experience and his development is supported by contact with teachers and participation in art classes and exhibitions. He works in his cell, often painting on the back of discarded cereal boxes, demonstrating a resourcefulness typical of prison artists while this approach might also be interpreted as acknowledging the environment in which he functions. He had little experience of making art prior to his imprisonment, now he intends to continue painting following his release. Despite the bleak nature of the image, the painting contributes to an understanding of the role of education and the arts in prisons. The post-modern title supports an appreciation of the work as a cathartic expression of frustration and the artist’s working methods are of interest. After completing a painting he experiments with the left-over paint, exploring effects and new approaches to image making, extending his reach and growing his confidence. The work reflects something of that learning process, also the value he places on the limited materials available to him and his concern not to waste either the materials or the opportunity they represent. The human figure and by extension the human condition are central to his work. A distorted head, with references to steel bars and doors illuminated by yellow artificial light, is contrasted against a dark blue night sky, evoking the loneliness, isolation and confinement of the prison experience. It is the image of an everyman, representative of prisoners as a type, and the narrative communicates an extreme physical and emotional experience with graphic impact. This artist’s development is a positive outcome of the structures for education within the Irish Prison Service. In each prison, a school staffed by qualified teachers delivers second-chance education tailored to meet individual needs. The service works on a partnership model informed by the recommendations of the Council of Europe on education in prisons and prisoners engage and attend by choice. A broad curriculum is offered and workshops, part-funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, are delivered by visiting artists and writers and a programme of exhibitions brings the creative work of prisoners to a wider audience in the community. The Irish Prison Education Service is adapting to meet the challenge of addressing the educational needs of people in custody within the restrictions imposed by Covid-19

A Note About the Cover Art

A note about the cover art

Exploratory Growths of the Ternary 14-1-11 Family of Thermoelectric Zintl Phases Using a Self-Flux Method

Thermoelectric Zintl phases have the ability to convert waste heat into useful electrical energy, making them valuable in various energy harvesting applications. In these Zintl phases, a high zT (thermoelectric Figure of Merit) indicates more efficient thermoelectric properties. The technique used, a self-flux method, is implemented as a relatively simple way of synthesizing Zintl phases with a higher thermoelectric Figure of Merit. This method uses an excess of reactive flux element, which acts as both a component of the Zintl phase and a reaction medium, and two other elements that are incorporated into the material. The materials with higher melting points are placed at the bottom of a quartz glass ampoule. The materials with lower melting points act as the flux and are placed on top. The flux melts and incorporates the other elements, providing a liquid solution for the ternary reactions to take place. A stoichiometric ratio of 14-1-11 was used to attempt to grow unit crystals. Preliminary results suggest new materials of Ca14In1Sb11 and Ca14In1Bi11 have been grown, but further testing is required to confirm the results

The Effect of Comprehensive Instructional Program on Grades 3-8 Student Achievement

Student achievement and the state Standards of Learning testing was a critical criterion for success for school districts, administrators, and teachers. The researcher in this study investigated the efficacy of the Comprehensive Instructional Program in improving student achievement in reading and mathematics and whether school configuration impacted student achievement. The population consisted of all students in District A in Virginia who took achievement tests in reading and math in 2012-2018. The researcher determined there was a significant difference in reading and math scores between pre‑implementation and post-implementation in grades 3-8 as measured by the Virginia Standards of Learning testing program and that school configuration had no impact on the pass rate of the tests