Taking the Lead Role in Intern Supervision: The Mentor Teacher Intern Project

Classroom teachers participate in many university teacher education programs as partners in the education of teacher candidates. The Mentor Teacher project was initiated in 2003 to allow teachers a voice in the school internship or student teaching process. This study investigated the strengths and weaknesses of the program through individual interviews and open-ended surveys. The program was perceived as very successful by the Mentor Teachers as they moved into a new level in their profession

Investigating an Intervention Used to Address Underachievement in Gifted and Non-Gifted High School Students: A Mixed Methodological Study

Recent concerns in the field of gifted education focus on students who are not performing at their ability level. These students can be classified as underachieving gifted students. In their research, Rubenstein, Siegle, Reis, McCoach, and Burton (2012) found that though gifted students are not typically considered at risk, there is a growing group of gifted students who are not motivated to learn, which is frustrating for parents, teachers, and counselors. Highly capable students are not being engaged in their classes which causes underachievement in these students (Kim, 2008). The purpose of this mixed methodological study will be to investigate if a low cost goal-setting intervention impacts academic performance and attitudes in gifted achievers and underachievers as well as non-gifted achievers and underachievers. How students value a goal setting intervention as it relates to a higher level mathematics course will also be addressed. Data were collected through reported grades, intervention meetings, interviews, and student questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and content analysis of interview transcripts. Findings from the study confirm that there is a higher Academic Self-Perception in underachieving gifted students who received the intervention. Results from the exit questionnaire show that though students did not improve academically, they still found value in a goal-setting intervention

Oral Health Literacy Inventories for Caregivers of Preschool-Aged Children: A Systematic Review

Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review was to describe the oral health literacy (OHL) inventories that have been used among caregivers of preschool-aged children. Methods: Four databases were searched (CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source, PubMed), to identify peer-reviewed, full-text studies published in English on the oral health literacy among caregivers of preschool-aged children from 2010-2021. All studies were assessed for eligibility using PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were experimental, non-experimental, or mixed methods peer-reviewed studies, conducted in the United States. Eligible studies were independently evaluated using the Effective Public Health Practice Project\u27s Quality Assessment Tool. Results: The initial search yielded 182 articles; 11 studies met the inclusion criteria after screening: observational (n=8), experimental (n=2), and quasi-experimental (n=1). Main outcome measures included: oral health literacy, oral health knowledge, oral health attitudes and behaviors, child oral health status (COHS), child oral health-related quality of life (C-OHRQoL), and child oral health-related expenditures. However, this review focused only on caregivers\u27 OHL and the associated measurements for this variable. Most studies utilized the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (REALD-30); the remainder used the Basic Research Factors Questionnaire (BRFQ), the Oral Health Literacy Inventory for Parents (OH-LIP), or self-designed survey questions. Conclusions: Few studies met the inclusion criteria. There was an uneven distribution of studies using different inventories for the measurement of oral health literacy limiting the generalizability of the findings to low-income and minority groups. Most caregiver OHL studies focused on dental word recognition, only a few measured knowledge and comprehension. More comprehensive inventories could be designed to evaluate caregivers\u27 knowledge and understanding of dental terms

Identification and cost of adverse events in metastatic breast cancer in taxane and capecitabine based regimens.

PurposeWe sought to compare the economic impact of treatment-related adverse events (AEs) in patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) using taxane- or capecitabine-based treatment regimens as either first- or second-line (FL or SL) therapy in the US.MethodsWe used healthcare claims data from the Truven Health Analytics MarketScan® Commercial Databases to conduct a retrospective cohort study comparing the economic impact of AEs amongst taxane- and capecitabine-treated mBC patients in the US. We selected women diagnosed with mBC between 2008-2010 who received a taxane or capecitabine as first- or second-line (FL or SL) chemotherapy. Costs related to hospitalization, outpatient services, emergency department visits, chemotherapy and other medications were tabulated and combined to determine total healthcare costs. The incremental monthly costs associated with the presence of AEs compared to no AEs were estimated using generalized linear models, controlling for age and Charlson Comorbidity Index.ResultsWe identified 15,443 mBC patients meeting inclusion criteria. Adjusted total monthly costs were significantly higher in those who experienced AEs than in those without AEs in both lines of treatment (FL incremental cost: taxanes $1,142, capecitabine$1,817; SL incremental cost: taxanes $1,448, capecitabine$4,437). Total costs increased with the number of AEs and were primarily driven by increased hospitalization amongst those with AEs.ConclusionsAdverse events in taxane- or capecitabine-treated mBC patients are associated with significant increases in costs. Selecting treatment options associated with fewer AEs may reduce costs and improve outcomes in these patients

Caregivers\u27 Comprehension of the Terms Decay and Cavities: A Qualitative Analysis

Purpose: Tooth decay and cavities are the most common oral health consequences for young children that may result from inadequate oral health literacy (OHL) or understanding of their caregivers. The purpose of this study was to describe the understanding of terms related to decay and cavities among caregivers of preschool-aged children. Methods: English-speaking caregivers with children aged(OH-LIP). Responses were recorded, transcribed, coded, and assigned to domains and categories. Results: Responses from 111 participants were included in the analysis. About one fifth of the participants (19.8%, n=22) indicated that they did not know what decay was or provided an incorrect response. The majority (71.2%, n=79) made the association that decay was something bad that happens to the teeth. However only a minority of the participants (9%, n=10) correctly identified decay as destruction of the tooth surface because of bacterial action. When asked to define the word cavities, more than half (68.5%) indicated that cavities were something harmful to teeth, while only about one quarter (27%, n=30) correctly identified cavities as resulting from the decay process. Conclusion: Knowledge disparities related to the terms decay and cavities among caregivers suggest that more education is needed regarding the tooth decay process and factors causing dental caries to ensure timely preventive services are received. Gaps in oral health literacy should be addressed by health care professionals. Dental hygienists are in an ideal position to educate caregivers as well as non-dental health care professionals who provide services to caregivers and children

Constraining the Progenitor Companion of the Nearby Type Ia SN 2011fe with a Nebular Spectrum at +981 Days

We present an optical nebular spectrum of the nearby Type Ia supernova 2011fe, obtained 981 days after explosion. SN 2011fe exhibits little evolution since the +593 day optical spectrum, but there are several curious aspects in this new extremely late-time regime. We suggest that the persistence of the $\sim5800$~\AA\ feature is due to Na I D, and that a new emission feature at $\sim7300$~\AA\ may be [Ca II]. Also, we discuss whether the new emission feature at $\sim6400$~\AA\ might be [Fe I] or the high-velocity hydrogen predicted by Mazzali et al. The nebular feature at 5200~\AA\ exhibits a linear velocity evolution of $\sim350$ $\rm km\ s^{-1}$ per 100 days from at least +220 to +980 days, but the line's shape also changes in this time, suggesting that line blending contributes to the evolution. At $\sim 1000$ days after explosion, flux from the SN has declined to a point where contribution from a luminous secondary could be detected. In this work we make the first observational tests for a post-impact remnant star and constrain its temperature and luminosity to $T \gtrsim 10^4$ $\rm K$ and $L \lesssim 10^4$ $\rm L_{\odot}$. Additionally, we do not see any evidence for narrow H$\alpha$ emission in our spectrum. We conclude that observations continue to strongly exclude many single-degenerate scenarios for SN 2011fe.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, published by MNRA

Responses to intimate partners’ attempts to change health behavior: The role of readiness

Intimate partners seeking to influence one another’s health may do so by providing support for positive health behavior and attempting to change negative health behavior (social control). Research findings examining the effectiveness of intimate partners’ attempts to influence health behavior are mixed however, and the purpose of the present research is to examine individuals’ responses to hypothetical health behavior influence attempts by an intimate partner. Specifically, we examine the role of readiness to change, cognitive appraisals, and affective responses to partner change attempts. Undergraduate students (n = 185) who reported infrequent exercise or unhealthy eating habits were asked to respond to a variety of tactics an intimate partner might use to try to change their health behavior. In the first phase of the study, we examine a model wherein individuals’ readiness to change influences their perceptions of, and affective reactions to, attempts to influence health behavior and the subsequent likelihood of making a behavioral change. In Phase 2, we use a within-subjects experimental design to simulate changes in readiness and assess resulting changes to affective and perceptual responses to a variety of hypothetical support and control attempts by an intimate partner. The findings indicate that a comprehensive model that includes readiness to change more fully accounts for variance in how individuals respond to partners’ change attempts. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed

Meeting the needs of students with disabilities experiencing homelessness: Federal, community, and educator roles

Homelessness is a complex and multifaceted condition that affects 2.5 million, or one in every 30, children annually. Based on these numbers, it is likely that at least one student has experienced or is experiencing homelessness in most public school classrooms. Sixteen percent of students experiencing homelessness also received services under IDEA in 2014. Authors describe how homelessness impacts the outcomes of students-particularly those with disabilities, what federal policies and protections exist, and how communities lend support. One hallmark of special education, and an essential strategy for serving students experiencing homelessness, is a team approach. Thus, the authors conclude with five practical, team-based tips for school personnel, based on the acronym HOMES, to help ensure they are providing the supports and services these students need

A case study of the supports that foster teachers’ awareness of students with disabilities experiencing homelessness

Students with disabilities experiencing homelessness are a growing and vulnerable population in the United States (Bassuk et al., 2014). They have a myriad of unique and complex needs, many of which teachers are ill prepared to meet. In this study, the researcher conducted a case study (Yin, 2014), set within the context of Ecological Systems Theory (EST; Bronfenbrenner, 1979), to investigate existing school and district level supports for teachers of students with disabilities experiencing homelessness, and teachers’ and other school personnel’s perceptions of those supports. The researcher interviewed six school and district level personnel, and analyzed several school and district level documents and web resources regarding homeless education to triangulate the data. Data were coded at three levels, the first two employing deductive logic and a priori codes based on the EST theoretical framework (Level I) and extant literature (Level II; Fereday & Muir-Cochrane, 2006). The third level of analysis was conducted using an inductive process, during which codes emerged from the data (Leech & Onwuegbuzie, 2007). Results from Level I coding indicated microsystem supports (to students and families) were provided most frequently, followed by exosystem supports (to teachers and other school professionals). Level II coding revealed teachers and other school professionals have drastically different perceptions of the absence or presence of teacher supports. Furthermore, the roles of teachers and other school professionals are concentrated on providing supports to students and families far more frequently than providing them to teachers. Level III analysis resulted in four overarching themes: homeless education norms, perceptions of the experience of homelessness, assumptions about teacher awareness and supports, and culture of support. While other school professionals often worked together formally and informally, they rarely involved teachers in their teams, but reported they provide adequate teacher support. The special educator’s perceptions indicated a lack of knowledge and support as well as a desire to improve both. Although the majority of participants held a deficit perspective of students with and without disabilities experiencing homelessness, overall they conveyed the importance of establishing a culture of support for those students and their families. Implications for future research include an investigation of the descriptive (the way things are done) and injunctive (the way things ought to be done) norms (Cialdini et al., 1990) within schools and districts. Specifically, the siloed nature of homeless education appears to be an emerging descriptive norm, when existing research supports homeless education ought to be carried out in a coordinated, team-based manner (i.e., injunctive). Professionals from other systems must be included in future research, as the norms from various systems can result in further contradictions. Similarly, additional investigations of rural homeless education are warranted to further unveil norms that impact the education of rural students with disabilities experiencing homelessness. Finally, considerations for practice include overhauling professional development to include teacher leadership and coaching as valid and sustainable options for improving the supports for teachers of students with and without disabilities experiencing homelessness