Selected Teachers' Perceptions of Administrative Evaluation of Instruction at the Junior High School Level in a Southeast Kansas Community

Curriculum and Instructio

Analysis of the Perceptions of State and Local Policymakers of Community College Participation in Job Training Partnership Act Programs

Higher Educatio

Leadership Styles of Secondary School Principals of Southeast Kansas

Educational Administratio

World allergy organization anaphylaxis guidance 2020

Anaphylaxis is the most severe clinical presentation of acute systemic allergic reactions. The occurrence of anaphylaxis has increased in recent years, and subsequently, there is a need to continue disseminating knowledge on the diagnosis and management, so every healthcare professional is prepared to deal with such emergencies. The rationale of this updated position document is the need to keep guidance aligned with the current state of the art of knowledge in anaphylaxis management. The World Allergy Organization (WAO) anaphylaxis guidelines were published in 2011, and the current guidance adopts their major indications, incorporating some novel changes. Intramuscular epinephrine (adrenaline) continues to be the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis. Nevertheless, its use remains suboptimal. After an anaphylaxis occurrence, patients should be referred to a specialist to assess the potential cause and to be educated on prevention of recurrences and self-management. The limited availability of epinephrine auto-injectors remains a major problem in many countries, as well as their affordability for some patients

Risk and safety requirements for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in allergology : World Allergy Organization Statement

Peer reviewe

Oral proficiency testing in the real world: Answers to frequently asked questions. Foreign Language Annals

About the ACTFL OPI The ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) is a valid and reliable testing method that measures how well a person speaks a language (see On the surface, the interview is interactive and continuously adapts to the interests, experiences, and abilities of the speaker. Below the surface, the OPI follows a specific set of procedures to measure general spoken language by determining patterns of strengths and weaknesses. It establishes a speaker' s level of consistent functional ability as well as the upper limits of that ability. Although the conversational format of each ACTFL OPI follows an established protocol, there is no script or prescribed set of questions. The ACTFL OPI is a criterion-referenced test. It compares a sample of speech with the 10 proficiency levels outlined in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines-Speaking, Revised (BreinerSanders et al., 2000). The Guidelines describe language proficiency from Novice-Low (little or no functional ability in spoken language) to Superior (ability to function in formal and informal contexts, and to state and support opinions and hypotheses in extended discourse, with a high degree of accuracy). The 10 proficiency levels of the ACTFL rating scale are Superior, Advanced- The OPI assesses language proficiency in terms of the ability to respond to questions and tasks posed in a structured interview. The OPI does not compare one individual' s performance with another' s. Rather, it compares each individual' s performance to the assessment criteria. The assessment criteria used to determine a rating include global tasks and functions, contexts and content areas, text type, and accuracy (see Official ACTFL OPIs are conducted and rated by ACTFL certified proficiency testers. The testers are highly specialized language professionals who complete a rigorous training process and participate in ongoing quality control and tester-norming activities. Each interview is tape recorded and assigned an initial rating by the tester. Under the supervision of the ACTFL testing office, the interview is blindly rated by a second certified tester. If the ratings disagree, the interview is arbitrated by a third certified tester. When two ratings agree exactly, an official rating is assigned and an official ACTFL OPI certificate is issued. FAQs 1 and 2 Does taking an OPI over the phone produce a different rating than a face-to-face interview? Are there differences in testing performance from one testing occasion to another when there is no significant opportunity for learning or forgetting between the two tests

The oral proficiency interview in the workplace: The testing and training of heritage advanced speakers of Spanish

Since the publication of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines for Speaking in 1986, the Oral Proficiency Interview ( OPI ) has been widely used within the academic community as an organizing principle for curricular planning, to measure student progress, and to establish entrance and graduation requirements. In 1991, the OPI was first used in the commercial world as a tool for assessing the linguistic skills of employees who conduct business in more than one language. The level of required proficiency depended upon the job description. The oral proficiency testing of hundreds of Spanish-English bilinguals, most of them heritage speakers of Spanish, reveals that approximately 50% of these speakers are at the Advanced level of speaking proficiency in Spanish. However, task analyses of the positions which they seek establish Advanced high (functions at the Superior level more than 50% of the time) as the minimal level acceptable for the job. This project addresses the issue of raising the oral proficiency level of heritage speakers of Spanish from the Advanced (limited working proficiency) to the Advanced high level. Proficiency II Spanish Course for Advanced Speakers is designed to meet the specific needs of one financial company, Household International, seeking to expand its services into the Spanish-speaking markets of the United States. This program uses the functions of the Superior level as the organizing principle. It is self-paced and tutor supported in order to adjust to the time constraints of full-time working professionals. The program recognizes the linguistic strengths of Advanced heritage speakers of Spanish and provides opportunities to gain functional competency at the Superior level. The student is introduced to formal contexts and content areas through listening and reading activities. The vocabulary and discourse of the Superior level are modeled and the complex linguistic structures of the Superior level are explained and practiced. Special attention is given to the cultural aspects of doing business within the Spanish speaking community. There are periodic check-points throughout the program which allow the student to be evaluated on individual Superior level functions prior to the final OPI . The results of the Proficiency II Spanish Course for Advanced Speakers were encouraging. All participants gained some functional ability in Spanish. The majority succeeded in obtaining the Advanced high rating necessary for their positions within a six month period. The success of this training program has direct implications for the academic community which continues to seek appropriate instructional programs for heritage speakers of Spanish who study Spanish in schools and universities